• Bama to be without starting LB against Mississippi St. •

• 2023 Bama Football 2023 • Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama’s linebacker depth has reportedly reached the “critical” situation head coach Nick Saban foreshadowed. Days before the Crimson Tide are set to play Mississippi State, multiple outlets confirmed that starting middle linebacker and signal-caller Deontae Lawson will be unavailable. Saban said on Wednesday both Lawson and guard Terrence Ferguson didn’t practice and were “very questionable” for the Tide’s road conference opener. BamaCentral’s Austin Hannon was the first to report Lawson’s impending absence on Thursday night. ESPN’s Chris Low confirmed and said Lawson’s ankle sprain could cause the redshirt sophomore to miss multiple games. If true, Lawson will be the first starting player the Tide has lost to injury this season for an extended period of time, testing UA’s depth chart. Lawson is No. 12 Alabama’s (3-1, 1-0 SEC) second-leading tackler, with his 26 just one behind Caleb Downs’ 27. The Tide defense has allowed 13 points across the last eight quarters following a home loss against Texas. • ROLLING WITH THE TIDE •