Alabama junior linebacker and team captain Deontae Lawson is out for the rest of the season with a leg injury, coach Kalen DeBoer told reporters Monday.
The coach described it as a “low-profile injury” in his comments following the Crimson Tide’s 24-3 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.
Lawson, considered the top linebacker prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, was injured in the second quarter and did not return to the game.
“Just an amazing leader,” DeBoer said. “He is the captain of the team chosen by the team. I don’t see what he means to us on the field, but the love our players have for him, especially those who have seen his contribution for many years. I know they all feel for him. We are grateful for everything he did.
“Obviously, you miss everything he does on the football field, but you love having that guy in the locker room leading your team.”
The 6-foot-2, 239-pound Lawson is second on the Crimson Tide with 76 tackles. He also had two sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The two-year starter is also responsible for relaying the coaches’ defensive calls via the helmet radio. Justin Jefferson, who supports Lawson, will take that role.
“When you lose a guy who’s really good, he’s a good worker in the box and he does a great job with blue dot communication and he’s a leader of our guys and a great communicator on the field, that’s tough,” defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Monday. “That’s a tough loss for sure.”
Alabama (8-3), which dropped from seventh to No. 13 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, plays in-state rival Auburn on Saturday in Tuscaloosa in the annual Iron Bowl game to conclude the regular season.
–Field Level Media
Source link
