One of the most exciting freshmen for Alabama football is currently sidelined with an injury and is missing some valuable practice time in fall camp.
WR Lotzeir Brooks wasn't the highest rated recruit in the Crimson Tide's 2025 recruiting class, but he's a player who made waves during spring practice and looked well on his way to carving out an immediate role despite a deep position group.
Unfortunately for Brooks, his pursuit of playing time has suffered what should be just a brief setback. During the media viewing portion of Saturday's practice, Brooks was seen in a black non-contact jersey and a walking boot. He spent the media viewing period riding a stationary bike.
Alabama freshman WR Lotzeir Brooks was wearing a boot on his leg at practice today.
— Hunter De Siver (@HunterDeSiver) August 2, 2025
Brooks wore a non-contact jersey and was riding the stationary bike.
The severity of the injury is not yet known, but it isn't believed to be too serious. Alabama's medical staff is notorious for putting players in walking boots for even the most minor of lower extremity injuries out of an abundance of caution. The fact that Brooks was able to ride the stationary bike is a good sign that the injury isn't too serious.
Missing camp time could halt Brooks' ascension up the Alabama depth chart
While the injury is unlikely to be anything major, Brooks needs all the practice reps he can get to work his way up the depth chart and carve out a role on this team.
Alabama has a deep group of wide receivers, and it won't be easy for anyone down the depth chart to break through, especially a freshman who is naturally behind in system knowledge.
Alabama's top four wide receivers seem pretty well entrenched. The starting trio of Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, and Isaiah Horton isn't likely to change. Sophomore Rico Scott has had an outstanding offseason and appears to be the group's top backup. That means Brooks is competing with several guys for the 5th spot in the rotation.
That includes program veterans Jalen Hale and Cole Adams, both of whom have recovered from injuries last season. There's also fellow freshman Derek Meadows and second-year players Jaylen Mbakwe and Bubba Scott.
Brooks drew rave reviews during spring practice and made eye-opening plays throughout the spring. There's a lot of excitement about what he can be down the road for the Crimson Tide, but he's also a young player who is almost certainly going to be too good to leave on the bench all year.
Hopefully, he can get healthy and get back to practice quickly.