Alabama football’s Caleb Downs earned another rookie accolade on Wednesday. The Maxwell Football Club chose Downs as the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year.

The finalists were Miami’s Rueben Bain, North Carolina State’s Kevin Concepcion, Arizona’s Noah Fifita and Purdue’s Dillon Thieneman.

Downs leads No. 4 Alabama (12-1) with 95 tackles, including two for a loss. He’s also forced a fumble, recovered another and intercepted two passes. Filling in as a punt returner late in the year, Downs also has a touchdown return.

Downs, a five-star from Mill (Ga.) Creek High has lived up to the off-season hype, working his way into a day-one starter in Nick Saban’s secondary. Downs was named SEC Newcomer and Freshman of the Year earlier this month.

“He’s very mature,” Saban said of Downs on Oct. 9. “The guy really pays attention to detail and does a really good job in preparation. Wants to know what he’s supposed to do. How he’s supposed to do it. Why it’s important to do it that way. He’s got great football instincts and savvy, so he kind of understands what the other team’s trying to do.”

Downs joins Will Anderson as the only player in Alabama history to win the Alexander Award. Downs and the rest of Alabama’s 2023 roster landed in Pasadena, Calif., on Tuesday to begin prep for the Rose Bowl and No. 1 Michigan.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].