Alabama spring football: How a rash of injuries changes offseason outlook

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football’s spring practice began on Monday, and a long list of notable injuries has changed the outlook for the next several weeks. Coach Kalen DeBoer provided an injury report after practice No. 1.

Here are the players who are either limited or being completely held out of action this spring:

Out for spring: Punter Alex Asparuhov, long snapper David Bird, wide receiver Bubba Hampton, linebacker Kevonte Henry, cornerback Domani Jackson, linebacker Deontae Lawson, tight end Danny Lewis Jr. and safety Keon Sabb.

Limited to individual drills and non-contact work only: Linebacker Justin Jefferson, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, defensive lineman James Smith.

DeBoer noted that the majority of the injuries have carried over from last season. Alabama is opting for a modified version of the A-Day spring game, a growing trend across the country, and the number of injuries is partly responsible for the decision.

“Offensive line depth, tight end depth, all that kind of stuff,” DeBoer said. “We’ll continue to figure out where we’re at to see what we want to do when it comes to the day itself. We want to make it a great celebration for our fan base, but we also have to do what’s right for us.”

What do these injuries mean for Alabama’s spring outlook?

A few player absences were expected — like Lawson and Sabb — but the total number of expected absences is notable. Of the 11 players listed, nine of them — Asparuhov, Bird, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawson, Lewis, Proctor, Sabb and Smith — are expected to either start or compete for significant snaps at their positions. Now, positions such as offensive line, tight end and linebacker will be increasingly interesting due to the number of young players who will get snaps this spring.

With Proctor limited, an already thin offensive tackle group is even thinner. The right tackle battle was among the biggest this spring, but now Alabama will need to plug-and-play guys at left tackle in Proctor’s absence to build depth.

A few players listed as guards, such as redshirt sophomore Olaus Alinen and true freshman Michael Carroll, spent some reps at offensive tackle on Monday during team periods; flexing a few interior guys to the outside will be consistent throughout spring.

There’s a similar situation at tight end, with Josh Cuevas as the only returner with significant experience. Two players to watch for in Lewis’ place are redshirt freshman Jay Lindsey and senior transfer Peter Knudson, who spent the last four years at Weber State and appeared in 24 games.

Defensively, not having both Lawson and Jefferson is significant. Not only are they the most experienced players, they’re Alabama’s top two in-helmet communication signal callers on defense. In their absence, Alabama has one upperclassman in Colorado transfer Nikhai Hill-Green, followed by sophomore Cayden Jones, redshirt freshman QB Reese and three true freshmen in Duke Johnson, Luke Metz and Abduall Sanders Jr. Jones is the most likely candidate to emerge as the spring starter opposite of Hill-Green, but the three true freshmen have been impressive since enrolling early for bowl practice.

“Abduall, Luke, Duke — all three of those guys really got a feel,” DeBoer said. “It’s a social thing, too, just getting comfortable with some of the relationships. Then they get here, and they’re already kind of off and rolling. In some ways it ain’t gonna be long, and we’re not going to think of all of these early enrollees, not as freshmen any more. We’re going to think of them as almost sophomores.”

James Smith’s absence is similar to missing Lawson and Jefferson. The junior ended the 2024 season strong and is expected to starter at defensive tackle next to Tim Keenan III. The depth at defensive line was already a question mark, now there’s opportunity for players to get an elevated look with first team snaps available. One player to watch is redshirt freshman Jeremiah Beaman, whose jump to 312 pounds (from 296) is the biggest weight increase on the team.

Defensive back is the position most equipped to deal with a few starters missing this spring. At cornerback, Utah transfer Cameron Calhoun is a suitable replacement opposite Zabien Brown, in addition to five-star early enrollee Dijon Lee, who will get an opportunity for more reps with Jackson out. At safety, Sabb’s void can be filled by a number of options, including sophomores Kameron Howard, Dre Kirkpatrick Jr and Zay Mincey, or true freshman Ivan Taylor.

Early insight on the quarterback battle

All three quarterbacks battling for the starting position are healthy and participating. Alabama updated its roster on Monday, revealing that true freshman Keelon Russell has gained 17 pounds since enrolling and is now listed at 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds.

Ty Simpson is listed at 6-2 and 210 pounds (down five pounds from last season) and Austin Mack is at 6-6 and 235 pounds.

“(Russell) looks good right now,” DeBoer said. “Strong and moves around. He’s just a good all-around athlete. The weight program for any new guy is going to be critical. It’s good to get that first phase under your belt. That’s why being an early enrollee is so important.”

Day 1 of practice was characterized by monitoring how each quarterback operated the offense from a procedure standpoint. Simpson is the most experienced player of the group, but with only 50 career pass attempts isn’t as experienced in on-field reps. How each of the options perform in that aspect — commanding the huddle with confidence, is going to be one of the biggest data points of this competition.

“It’s got to be a guy who can deliver the ball, command the huddle and command everything we do with the team,” DeBoer said. “That presence, that belief and confidence in your signal caller. It starts with a lot of that — just the belief. The belief comes because you’re making the throws and you’re getting the ball (to pass catchers) in a fashion where they can go make their plays and reap the rewards of all the work they’ve put in.”