Alabama was hit with unfortunate injury news on Wednesday night. Star defensive lineman LT Overton was listed as OUT on the Crimson Tide's initial availability report for Saturday's SEC Championship Game.
Overton has started at Bandit for Alabama in all 12 games so far this season and has recorded four sacks. The Crimson Tide has solid depth at the position, but there's no question that Overton is a huge loss vs. Georgia.
In the first matchup against the Bulldogs in September, Overton played a pivotal role in the Alabama victory. He made the key stop on 4th-and-1 in the redzone in the fourth quarter on Georgia RB Cash Jones, which preserved Alabama's 24-21 win in Athens.
But there's no time to dwell on the loss of Overton for Alabama. It's next man up with a massive opportunity for the Crimson Tide in Atlanta.
Jordan Renaud, Keon Keeley, and Kelby Collins must step up against Georgia
Redshirt sophomores Jordan Renaud and Keon Keeley are listed as Overton's backups on Alabama's official depth chart. Renaud is the most likely to start in place of Overton. He's the better run stopper of that duo and will bring some nice power to the Tide's defensive line.
But Keeley is the better pass rusher and will have an obvious role against the Bulldogs, too. Keeley has finally developed into a rotational piece for Alabama up front after two years of sitting on the bench as he changed positions and adjusted to Kane Wommack's scheme after originally being recruited for Nick Saban's.
This could be a key opportunity for Keeley, though I suspect Wommack will prioritize stopping the run first and foremost over pass rushing. Georgia racked up 227 yards in the regular season meeting, a number Alabama must keep the Bulldogs from duplicating to have a chance at beating them again.
This could also be an opportunity for Florida transfer Kelby Collins to make his mark in an Alabama uniform. Collins has had an inconsistent role for the Crimson Tide this season, but he played 19 snaps in the Iron Bowl last week and could be in line for an increased role against Georgia.
Collins has played inside and outside along Alabama's defensive line this season, but he was recruited as a Bandit and figured to be a major part of the rotation this season, with the expectation being that Overton would go to the NFL Draft.
Overton returned, which forced Collins to take a back seat. He'll have the opportunity for his moment on Saturday in Atlanta.