Kalen DeBoer shares concerning injury update on Alabama star before major clash against FSU in season opener

Ahead of their season opener against Florida State, Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer has shared a worrisome injury update. Per On3’s Pete Nakos, DeBoer has cast doubt on defensive lineman Tim Keenan III’s availability on Saturday.

The coach gave the update on Keenan’s health during his Wednesday press conference.

“Yet to be determined. Probably not, but we’ll see,” he said. “He had a lower-body injury. A lot of it is always, kind of, figure it out after practice. Obviously, gathering information in the moment I’m in right now, trying to understand exactly where it’s at.

“Our staff is unbelievable. They have done pretty impressive things in getting guys back. Waiting on the update on that. I don’t know if I can give you a percentage and be confident in that. But it is a lower-body injury.”

The redshirt senior was an important part of Kalen DeBoer’s setup last season, featuring in all of the Crimson Tide’s 13 games. He made 40 tackles, with 7.5 being for a loss. He also recorded 2.5 sacks.

More injury concerns for Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama

Tim Keenan is not the only injury worry that Alabama has ahead of its clash with the Seminoles. Another important player who is doubtful for that encounter is offensive guard Jaeden Roberts. The redshirt senior has been out for a couple of weeks, and Kalen DeBoer had no assurance to offer for his status for Saturday’s game.

He said:

“He’s been practicing. Very limited, very limited. I mean, he’s making progress, but it’s slow and steady. I know this has been going on for a couple of weeks. A lot of the same, nothing more than that, really.”

Roberts and Keenan are two of the most experienced players on Alabama’s roster for this season. They are important for Kalen DeBoer, not only in terms of output but also in terms of the leadership they provide to the team.

With the Tide’s offensive line featuring some new faces this season, Roberts is expected to provide stable leadership.

Kalen DeBoer is kicking off his second campaign in charge of Alabama against one of the most storied programs in college football. Although the Seminoles are coming off a disappointing season, the matchup still promises to be a cracker.

The game is slated for a 3:30 p.m. (ET) kickoff on ESPN.

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."

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.