Travaris Robinson staying at Georgia could impact Alabama star's future
New Georgia defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson had a whirlwind of a couple of days after legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement. That sentiment was — of course — true for much of the college football world, but few outside of new Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer might understand the churn Robinson was in.
Robinson took the UGA job in the days following Saban's retirement. He was previously Alabama's cornerbacks coach and was regarded as one of the best recruiters on the Crimson Tide's staff.
To DeBoer's credit, when he got the Alabama head-coaching gig, he immediately brought Robinson back to Tuscaloosa to see if the up-and-coming coach might stay with the Tide as his new defensive coordinator. The two met on Sunday, but on Monday, ESPN's Chris Low reported that despite DeBoer's advances, Robinson will stick with Kirby Smart and run UGA's defense next season.
That's a huge win for Georgia, and for Alabama, the loss of Robinson can't be understated. Retaining a coach and recruiter of Robinson's skill set would have been a massive help for DeBoer as he transitions to life in Tuscaloosa.
Per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, though, Robinson could have also helped Alabama hang on to star safety Caleb Downs, who is undecided if he'll return to Alabama in the wake of Saban's retirement.
With Robinson staying at Georgia, it sounds like there's a good chance Downs will leave Alabama.
That would be a pretty big blow for the Crimson Tide.
A former five-star safety recruit, Downs was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Year by the conference's coaches after notching 107 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions this past season for the Tide.
Notably, Robinson was one of Downs' primary recruiters at Alabama, and the talented safety did play high school ball at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia. In fact, Downs was the top 2023 recruit from the state of Georgia.
If he does indeed leave Alabama, it will be interesting to see how Robinson's new role with the Bulldogs will factor into Downs' next move.
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