Alabama injury report (Week 6): Kalen DeBoer shares latest update on players ahead of Vanderbilt faceoff ft. Keon Sabb

Kalen DeBoer has provided an updated Alabama injury report ahead of the Tide’s Saturday clash with the Vanderbilt Commodores. There have been concerns over safety Keon Sabb’s status for the Week 6 encounter with the Commodores.

Sabb had been absent from the Tide’s lineup at a point in the 24-21 victory at Georgia. According to the latest Alabama injury report, however, the redshirt junior will be available to play on Saturday. DeBoer said on Wednesday:

“He’ll be playing Saturday. Yeah, he’ll be paying on Saturday.”

Sabb was out for much of last season after picking up an injury in October. He did not feature for DeBoer’s side after leaving the game against Tennessee with an injury. Despite speculations that he might enter the NFL Draft, he elected to return for another season in Tuscaloosa.

His return has been pivotal for Alabama this season, with DeBoer acknowledging his growth as a player since fall camp. He said:

“His volume has continued to increase working through fall camp. I think he’s getting better and better each week, more comfortable, just physically. I thought he’s played his best football here as of late.”

Sabb has recorded 15 total tackles in four games this season, including 10 solo tackles and a tackle for a loss.

Expected absences per Alabama injury report

Two key defensive players are expected to miss Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt, recent Alabama injury reports indicate. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, linebacker Qua Russaw will miss the clash with Vanderbilt after leaving the game against Georgia with a foot injury.

Russaw is expected to undergo surgery, making his timeline for return very uncertain at this time. The sophomore linebacker is a starter for the Tide, making his absence an important concern for Alabama fans.

In four appearances this season, he has recorded four tackles, one tackle for a loss, and one sack. Alabama will be missing another starting linebacker for an indefinite length of time, with Jah-Marien Latham out with a neck injury. Latham suffered his injury during practice and is not expected back this season.

Alabama is 3-1 this season, having started the season with a loss at Florida State. With a crucial win against Georgia secured, DeBoer’s men will be looking to avoid a repeat of the 2024 encounter with Vanderbilt on Saturday.

The Commodores beat Alabama 40-35 last season, a result they’ll be hoping to replicate come Saturday.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

Know More

Edited by Kayode Akinwumi