When Clemson started dispensing its initial wave of scholarship offers to rising juniors on June 1, the first prospect to report an offer from the Tigers was Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek four-star safety Caleb Downs.

Downs, the nation’s top-ranked safety in the 2023 class per 247Sports, announced the offer on social media shortly after midnight Tuesday following a conversation with Clemson safeties coach Mickey Conn.

“Talking to Coach Conn, and we planned it out where I called him at 12 that night so I could post (on social media),” Downs told The Clemson Insider.

Downs (6-0, 185) is grateful to be one of the first prospects to have gotten an offer from one of his dream schools.

“Feel very blessed and thankful for the opportunity,” he said, “because that’s a school I dreamed of going to.”

Downs, who has collected two dozen offers in total, told TCI that Clemson is in his top group of schools after pulling the trigger on an offer.

“There is a smaller narrowed list of about 10 schools,” he said, “and I can say I talk to them very much so they are in it.”

Downs is visiting Clemson today and is slated for upcoming visits to Florida State (June 5), Notre Dame (June 21), Ohio State (June 22) and Alabama (June 26).

Downs is ranked as the No. 1 safety and No. 8 overall prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports.

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