Caleb Downs and Nick Saban were two sides of the same “trust the process” coin. In the freshman’s first year at Alabama, teammates compared Downs to their 72-year-old head coach. During team meetings and guest speaker talks, Downs was often seated near Saban in the front row of the auditorium, each eagerly jotting down takeaways on a notepad.

When asked about the personality comparisons, Saban demurred but praised Downs’ work ethic. Unsurprisingly, Downs answered similarly.

“My discipline has allowed me to learn the defense at a high level and learn it faster than a lot of people. I definitely think the amount of consistency I have has been a good thing,” Downs told AL.com before the Rose Bowl. “… (Saban and Travaris Robinson) have been patient with me, and they’ve allowed me to grow.”

But last Friday, Downs walked into the meeting room with his teammates, and Saban wasn’t there, Instead, in front of newly hired coach Kalen DeBoer, Downs heard the pitch of the next era in Tuscaloosa. Downs was then among the players to share a quick word with DeBoer. Rabid fans on social media ate it up. The next day, as DeBoer walked into Bryant-Denny Stadium for an introductory press conference, a fan asked DeBoer for an update on Downs.

It turns out, like 23 other players, Downs plans to explore a future away from the program. He reportedly entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. News of left tackle Kadyn Proctor joining Downs broke shortly after.

In the flurry of portal departures and draft declarations, their potential losses stick out above the rest. Downs and Proctor represented the future eight days ago. Now they are the harbingers of a murky new era.

Proctor started all 14 games in his first year, going through struggles but eventually developing consistency. With JC Latham entering the NFL Draft and Seth McLaughlin off to Ohio State, the Tide will need a new set of starting offensive tackles and a center.

On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama is losing over half its starters. Downs, Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry played every down while Michigan had the ball on Jan. 1. Jaylen Key and Trey Amos added 64 snaps combined (per Pro Football Focus). None of those players are on UA’s roster as of Wednesday afternoon.

It’s unclear who would start alongside Malachi Moore and USC transfer Domani Jackson if the season started tomorrow. The transfers of Earl Little, Dezz Ricks, Amos and Kristian Story zapped the team of its depth. Alabama is currently relying on DeVonta Smith (injured – 30 defensive snaps in 2023), Tony Mitchell (15) and Bray Hubbard (four). It’s also worth noting the portal doesn’t close for Alabama until the first week of February.

Alabama’s 2024 recruiting class, Saban’s last, is ranked third overall with five defensive backs — headlined by Jaylen Mbakwe and Zabien Brown — and three offensive linemen. Yet, like the rest of the team, they’ll get a short acclimation period before spring ball and another transfer window. DeBoer and his yet-to-be-finalized coaching staff will be charged with preventing further damage.

“It’s really strong,” DeBoer said of the recruitment efforts of other teams on Tide players, which is against NCAA rules. “I don’t care where you’re at if you see an opportunity to add to your team, and especially if it might hurt one of your competitors, you’re gonna do that. Unfortunately, that’s the situation that college football, college athletics, is in right now where those things can happen pretty quickly and in many cases there’s not much as far as consequences if you’re not handling things the right way.”

Alabama is still in a position to reload. The Huskies are fighting portal departures and second-team All-Pac 12 defensive back Jabbar Muhammad is visiting Tuscaloosa, per multiple reports. Washington offensive lineman Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow are in the portal, according to 247Sports. But even if UA keeps him away from Texas, that’ll just be the start of DeBoer’s process.

Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne hired DeBoer, in part, due to the coach’s personality and penchant for wins. Both will be tested in his debut season.

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