Alabama football avoided significant injury in its first preseason camp scrimmage on Saturday, according to head coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide held their practice behind closed doors at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“Staying relatively healthy, just your typical fall camp stuff,” DeBoer said after the game. “Guys dinged up here and there, but nothing more than what you’d expect.”
Alabama came into camp in good health. Jalen Hale, a wide receiver, will most certainly miss the season due to a catastrophic leg injury sustained in the spring, but there are no other serious injuries.
Freshman defensive back Zabien Brown has been wearing a club on his left hand during practice, but DeBoer stated this week that the injury was minor and that the club will be removed shortly.
Following the scrimmage, DeBoer was asked about his team’s main area of concern. He stressed the necessity to avoid injury as the 2024 season approaches.
“Probably just staying healthy, you know?” DeBoer said. “I feel pleased about where we’re at. This will be our largest scrimmage. This will be the most plays we run. We’ll have a scrimmage next week as well, but it won’t be as large; instead, it will be solid. However, simply remaining healthy is sufficient. “We need all the reps.”
Alabama ran 102 plays in Saturday’s practice, according to DeBoer. Eighty-one of those went to the first and second teams, with the ones and twos split almost evenly.
DeBoer addressed Alabama’s youth at specific positions, emphasizing the significance of remaining healthy.
“We have some veterans, there’s no doubt about it, but we certainly have a lot of young guys that need to continue to develop and that are important,” DeBoer pointed out. “If they’re not in the ones, they’re definitely in the two (deep) rotation, so those reps are crucial for those guys, not only for them, but also for the team’s faith. So I believe that is the most important factor, just because our youth are spread over many position groups.”
Alabama returns to the field on Sunday for an open Fan Day practice at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tide kicks off the season on August 31 against Western Kentucky in Tuscaloosa.
Leading up to his first game since taking over for Nick Saban, DeBoer expressed his satisfaction with the players’ efforts to stay healthy.
“Guys are doing great jobs with their bodies,” DeBoer remarked. “Anytime they have the opportunity or extra time, they are in the training room doing an excellent job. And before and after practice, they do what they should. Being a professional. And you can see how they take those championship behaviors seriously.”
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