Alabama hoped to get close to full strength heading into Friday's College Football Playoff showdown against Oklahoma. While the prognoses look positive for guys like Jam Miller, Parker Brailsford, and even Josh Cuevas, Kalen DeBoer delivered some bad news to Tide fans during his Monday press conference.
Senior defensive end LT Overton, who missed the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia due to an undisclosed illness, is "doubtful" to play against Oklahoma on Friday night, per DeBoer:
Kalen DeBoer on LT Overton: "Continue to monitor him. I'd say he's doubtful for this weekend."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) December 15, 2025
Alabama likely to be without LT Overton for CFP at Oklahoma
It's not publicly known what issue Overton is dealing with that has caused him to be unable to play. There are rumors, though we won't discuss them here as they remain unconfirmed.
Overton's inability to play would be a substantial blow to the Alabama defensive line. He's one of the Crimson Tide's best players on defense. Overton ranks second on the team in sacks with four, behind only Yhonzae Pierre's 6.5.
Redshirt sophomore Jordan Renaud started and played 33 of Alabama's 69 defensive snaps against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game in place of Overton. His snaps were split relatively evenly with classmate Keon Keeley, who played 25 snaps.
Alabama also utilized some dueling edges, with Qua Russaw lined up on the opposite side of Pierre in obvious passing situations for Georgia.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack will likely utilize a similar strategy against Oklahoma, though Keeley being a better pass rusher than Renaud could lead to him getting more snaps against the Sooners. Oklahoma ranks 127th in the country in EPA/rush attempt, per Game on Paper. The Oklahoma run game has been even worse than Alabama's in 2025. Alabama held Oklahoma to just 74 rushing yards on 28 attempts in the regular-season meeting.
Florida transfer Kelby Collins could also factor into the game plan this week after also missing the SEC Championship Game with an illness. Collins was seen at practice on Monday, which points to him being available for Friday night's matchup.
It's a win-or-go-home situation for Alabama in Norman, and with how much the offense has struggled in recent weeks, there won't be much of a margin for error on the defensive side of the ball. Wommack will have to get his unit to play at an elite level, which will be all the more difficult without Overton in the fold.