Some good news on the Crimson Tide injury front
Though it may not necessarily need its full assortment of weapons against Western Kentucky, Alabama should be at or close to full strength in week one.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer delivered the good news in his game week press conference on Monday. Two players who were banged up in fall camp, junior running back Jam Miller and redshirt junior right guard Jaeden Roberts, are both expected to be ready to play.
Miller is primed for a breakout season along with sophomore Justice Haynes in the Crimson Tide backfield. If necessary, Bama can afford to reduce Miller’s workload through the first couple games of the season. The emergence of redshirt freshman Richard Young makes the Alabama backfield rotation fairly deep.
Jaeden Roberts suffered a hand injury in fall camp that required a minor surgical procedure per his mom’s Twitter page. Fortunately, the hulking interior lineman is not expected to miss any time. He is a key cog in what could be a dominant Alabama offensive line in 2024.
The only negative news on the injury front was that redshirt sophomore inside linebacker Jeremiah Alexander might not be ready to go. While it seems doubtful that he will play, DeBoer said Alexander’s timeline “will be close,” meaning that he will likely continue to be evaluated until game time.
Alexander is a reserve linebacker for the Tide, slotting in as the fourth guy behind Deontae Lawson, Jihaad Campbell, and Justin Jefferson. While Bama may not need him in week one, he will provide necessary depth as well as special teams contributions as we get into the grind of the SEC schedule.
In the event of his possible early season absence, a young player like super-athletic true freshman Justin Okoronkwo could be the beneficiary. Okoronkwo has drawn rave reviews from both the Saban staff and Kane Wommack's defensive staff this offseason and could get valuable game reps early this season.
Of course, sophomore wide receiver Jalen Hale remains out indefinitely with a knee injury. While Hale’s loss is significant, he has been out since the spring so it should not impact Alabama’s offense.
Alabama Football is just four days away, and the Tide is blessed to have a fairly healthy roster heading into the 2024 season.