Alabama football has a week of rest, but a challenging matchup awaits them next week.
Kalen DeBoer will head into a unique atmosphere in the Southeastern Conference and college football. He will lead the Crimson Tide as a first-year head coach into Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. Alabama aims to be healthy for what is another College Football Playoff elimination game.
At the Monday Morning Quarterback event in Birmingham, DeBoer discussed the health status of second-year wide receiver Cole Adams, who left the game against Missouri due to a lower body injury.
Adams was spotted leaving Saban Field on crutches after the injury. A former four-star recruit in Alabama’s 2023 class, he has become an important part of the wide receiver rotation and serves as the team’s starting punt returner.
So far this season, Adams has recorded six catches for 94 yards and has returned 11 punts for 58 yards.
DeBoer stated that he did not have an update on Adams during the event. “That will probably be later today,” he mentioned regarding Adams’ status.
True freshmen Ryan Williams and Jaylen Mbakwe are ready to step in as immediate backups for punt returns. Mbakwe is currently second on the depth chart behind Adams, with Williams following. Williams has returned four punts, while Mbakwe has one.
DeBoer expressed confidence in both players handling special teams duties. “Bak (Jaylen Mbakwe) was the first guy we threw out there,” he said. “We assess the situation based on whether we want to simply secure the catch or aim for an explosive play. We consider who feels comfortable back there and how consistent they’ve been throughout the week. We trust both of them.”
It’s uncertain how long Adams will be sidelined, especially since this is his second injury of the season. We hope for his swift recovery.
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