Star sophomore WR Ryan Williams was included on Alabama's initial availability report on Wednesday night. Williams was given a "probable" designation, signaling that he's likely to play against LSU this weekend, though he's clearly still not 100% after the bye week.
Williams has been dealing with a nagging lower-body injury for most of the season. It flared up the most during the Tide's road win over Missouri, a game in which he was also listed as probable, but he was used as a decoy for the entire afternoon and didn't log a single reception for the first time in his career.
Against a terrific LSU secondary, Alabama needs Williams at his most effective in order for the passing game to hum along like it could.
While Williams is likely to play on Saturday, if he's less than 100%, that's a big blow for the Crimson Tide's offense. The good news, however, is that two other banged-up wide receivers were not included on the injury report, and Kalen DeBoer confirmed during his radio show on Wednesday night that they would be good to go.
Isaiah Horton and Lotzeir Brooks are good to go for Alabama vs. LSU
DeBoer confirmed on Hey Coach on Wednesday night that Horton and Brooks are good to go vs. LSU, which was further driven home shortly after when the availability report was released and neither receiver was on it.
Brooks missed the South Carolina game after being a late-week add to the injury report. His presence was sorely missed, particularly after Horton got banged up and Alabama's depth at WR was severely tested.
Horton got dinged up late in the first half against the Gamecocks. He never returned to the game.
With Williams clearly less than 100%, having both Horton and Brooks good to go is pivotal for DeBoer, Ty Simpson, and the entire offense.
Horton is the team's third-leading receiver with 272 yards and is second on the team behind Germie Bernard in receiving touchdowns with five.
Brooks has yet to find the endzone, but he's been an extremely impactful freshman for the Crimson Tide. He's fourth on the team in receiving with 255 yards despite effectively missing two games. Brooks played sparingly in the season opener against Florida State and then missed the South Carolina game.
Both will play big roles for the Crimson Tide this weekend, regardless of how effective Williams can be.