College football’s Week 7 injury wave hit fast and hard, and a few of the sport’s biggest names are suddenly sitting in the crosshairs of the postseason race. Some situations look manageable.
Others could reshape entire stretches of the season. Here’s where things stand on the latest batch of wounded stars.
Florida State got the worst news of the bunch. Ousmane Kromah’s night against Miami ended late in the second quarter when he went down, had his leg put in an air cast, and was carted off.
The scene was enough to empty the Seminoles’ bench, with players taking knees on the field as the reality set in. Florida State later said Kromah sustained a lower leg injury, stayed in Miami on Saturday for surgery, returned to Tallahassee on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season.
He opened the year as the team’s feature back and had put together 100 carries for 565 yards and five rushing touchdowns. As a freshman last season, he ran for 408 yards on 72 carries.
Ohio State’s situation is also serious, even if it isn’t season-ending. Ryan Day described Julian Sayin’s right throwing arm injury as one that could keep him out for “several weeks,” which is about as vague as it gets when a team is staring at the stretch run.
The Buckeyes now have to figure out what they can get from freshman backup Luke Fahey, and that answer matters far beyond Columbus. Ohio State does have a bye this week, which gives the staff a little time to build around Fahey.
If there’s one obvious beneficiary in the passing game, it’s Jeremiah Smith, because when in doubt, throwing to No. 4 is never a bad option. After the bye, Ohio State heads to USC.
Texas also has a major concern on defense with Colin Simmons, who left the Florida game with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. Steve Sarkisian said he didn’t know the extent of it after the loss, and Simmons was helped off without putting much weight on the leg before leaving in a cart.
That initially looked ominous for Texas’ sack leader, but OnTexasFootball.com reported late Saturday that the first diagnosis was an ankle sprain, though the severity is still unknown. The Longhorns will need every bit of defensive juice they can find with their offense already under the microscope, especially with Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss coming next.
At Alabama, the uncertainty centers on EJ Crowell’s lower leg. Kalen DeBoer didn’t offer much detail after the loss to Tennessee, saying, "We'll just work through it here this week.
I don't have much more than that," when asked about Crowell and corner Zabien Brown. Crowell left in the second quarter and didn’t come back, though he did return to the sideline, and The Tuscaloosa News reported he left Neyland Stadium late in the fourth quarter with a brace on his left knee.
Alabama’s run game has already been a problem, and the Tide need better answers on the ground if their College Football Playoff hopes are going to hold up.
LSU’s Princewill Umanmielen is another one worth watching closely after an apparent head injury. He was out for the final three quarters of the Mississippi State blowout, and Kiffin said, "Our doctors held him, which obviously is the right thing to do."
TJ Dottery said Umanmielen told him he was fine, but Kiffin had no update on Sunday. That’s notable because Umanmielen is tied for No. 2 in the nation with eight sacks.
LSU visits Auburn this weekend and then has a bye.
Indiana’s Josh Hoover looks like the cleanest case on this list. He was clearly uncomfortable late in the loss to Ohio State, but he said the issue came from a scramble and was "nothing really too bad," adding after the game, "I'm feeling good".
He only left for one play, and his performance didn’t appear to dip much despite the hit. Indiana will need him ready next week against Michigan, especially with the way the Wolverines can rush the passer.
In Other News...
Alabama Could Catch Texas A&M At The Perfect Time
Texas A&Ms first injury report for Week 8 gives Alabama a clearer picture of the challenge ahead, and it comes with some notable absences. Wide receivers Terry Bussey and Kelshaun Johnson, along with offensive lineman Blake Ivy, were listed out, while several other key names landed in the questionable column as the buildup to Saturday continues. For an Alabama team trying to measure itself in conference play, any edge in availability matters, especially against a roster that has already had to manage its health carefully.
Mike Elko said the decision to rest injured players in the previous game was valuable for recovery, which is the kind of detail Alabama will be watching closely as the week unfolds. The report does not settle everything yet, but it does hint at a game that could look different depending on who is able to go, and that uncertainty is exactly what makes this matchup worth tracking all the way to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's Offensive Line Is Under Pressure After A Brutal Wake-Up Call
The day after Alabamas loss to Tennessee, the focus quickly turned to the line play that helped sink the offense. Starting right guard Michael Carroll owned up to the units struggles, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb also took responsibility as the Crimson Tide tried to sort through what went wrong. Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm went even further, calling the performance embarrassing and stressing that the standard has to be higher.
Now the challenge is less about words than response, with Texas A&M up next as a chance to show the problems were a one-game collapse rather than a deeper issue. Alabamas front has been put on notice, and the next outing will say a lot about whether the group can clean up the mistakes that were exposed in Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Troubling Injury Question Ahead Of Texas A&M
The SECs new injury reporting policy has already made Alabamas weekly picture a little clearer for conference games, and it also puts extra attention on the Tides health heading into Texas A&M. Zabien Brown and EJ Crowell are both dealing with lower leg injuries and are being evaluated, while Crowell is expected to practice during the week. Ryan Coleman-Williams had arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus injury and is not expected to practice, which adds another name to a growing list of players the staff has to monitor closely.
Racin Delgatty and Terrance Green are making progress, but both remain week-to-week, leaving Alabama with several situations still very much in motion. Jeremiah Beaman and Cayden Jones will miss the 2026 season because of ACL injuries, a reminder of how much depth can be tested over time even before the grind of October really settles in. For a team preparing for a major SEC matchup, the question is not just who is available now, but how many of these injury timelines can move in the right direction before Saturday. [Read more 🡒]