Alabama is getting closer to having three injured players back in the mix, and Kalen DeBoer sounded encouraged Monday about where things stand for Michael Carroll, Noah Rogers and AK Dear.
Carroll appears to be the nearest of the group to returning. The offensive guard sat out Saturday’s win over Kentucky, with Will Sanders stepping in at right guard and Mal Waldrep handling the left side. DeBoer said the week will help determine the final call, but he liked the direction Carroll is trending.
“Michael, just we’ll continue to work with him,” DeBoer said during his weekly press conference. “I feel confident that we’ll get there.
And we’ll just kind of see how the week goes. But I think it’s heading in a good direction, hope to get him back.”
Rogers has been sidelined since Alabama’s A-Day scrimmage, when the NC State transfer wide receiver was injured while going up for a catch in the end zone. DeBoer has been upbeat about his progress for weeks, and he stuck with that tone Monday after the team brought Rogers on the trip even though he did not play.
“Noah, I mean we took him on the trip,” DeBoer said. “He didn’t play, we weren’t expecting him to play, but that kind of gives an indication, I think, of how close we are. And again, we’ll see how the week of practice goes, but I would say in the next week or two, you can see him out there helping us out.”
Dear also seems to be moving in the right direction after missing the season so far because of an injury suffered in one of Alabama’s preseason scrimmages. DeBoer said the running back had already begun light work and was making steady progress late last week.
“AK making good progress. I think he was getting closer towards the end of the week,” DeBoer said.
“Again, reset, we’ll see where he’s at today and then tomorrow. Get out there, hopefully more on the practice field.
He was doing some light practice, doing some things with us last week already. So, I think he expects- his mindset’s been awesome with what he had injury-wise too.
Just the recovery, the response, his mindset’s helped him come back even quicker.”
DeBoer also said defensive back Zyan Gibson missed Saturday’s game because of illness and should be back for Florida State.
Alabama and Florida State are set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, with ABC carrying the game.
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