Alabama’s injury picture got a little brighter Monday, and Kalen DeBoer sounded optimistic about two names in particular.
After RB AK Dear, S Jireh Edwards and WR Noah Rogers were all seen dressed and warming up before Saturday’s opener against East Carolina, none of them actually played against the Pirates. Still, their presence pregame suggested the recovery clocks may be moving faster than expected. DeBoer backed that up when he met with reporters, pointing to Dear and Edwards as the two closest to returning.
“I think your guys that are the closest are Jireh and AK, and then Noah just down the road here just a little bit,” DeBoer said. “But wanted to get them out there, just keeping the progression and part of their transition back. But I think Jireh and AK, you can see here very soon."
That’s encouraging news for a group that already seems to be ahead of its original timeline. Rogers has been battling back from what was first believed in the spring to be an injury that would sideline him for most of the 2026 season, and DeBoer has praised the way he’s fought through the rehab process. A return at the end of this month or early next month no longer feels out of the question.
Dear’s path back has been different, but the progress is real. He suffered a high-ankle sprain during Alabama’s first fall camp scrimmage and has already made it back to practice.
The next hurdle is the one that usually matters most for a running back: getting comfortable cutting, jumping and trusting the ankle again. When the injury was first announced, Week 4 against South Carolina was labeled the earliest possible return.
Now, that window may be shrinking.
The Tide’s ground game held up against ECU without him. Daniel Hill flashed improvement, and freshmen EJ Crowell and Trae’shawn Brown both looked the part. Even so, Dear was drawing the loudest praise in the running back room before the injury, and getting him back would add another layer to an attack that already showed signs of life.
Edwards has also moved quickly. He had surgery to repair an arm injury suffered in practice just a couple of weeks ago, but Alabama does not expect him to be out much longer.
The safety room is deep, but Edwards had already started making noise in camp and was pushing for snaps as a true freshman. Before the injury, Kane Wommack said he was a player who was going to have a role on this team.
A Saturday return in Lexington against Kentucky might be a stretch for Dear and Edwards, but they’re clearly trending in the right direction. Week 3’s home game against Florida State could be a more realistic target for both to make their 2026 debuts.
The next checkpoint comes Wednesday evening, when Alabama must release its official availability report for the SEC opener. That should give a clearer read on just how close Dear, Edwards and Rogers really are.
In Other News...
LSUs SEC Fight Could Shift The Balance Alabama Lives With
The SECs legal fight with LSU has taken another turn, and it is the kind of conference business that rarely stays contained to one school. The league has amended its federal court lawsuit and is preparing to meet about possible punishment tied to LSUs institutional control and the football program, a dispute that puts the conferences authority and its willingness to enforce it back in the spotlight.
For Alabama, any league-wide shakeup involving LSU matters because it can alter the balance of a conference the Crimson Tide lives in every week. The SEC has also alleged that LSUs executive officers do not have meaningful control over coach Lane Kiffin and the football program, and the most extreme option on the table would require a two-thirds vote to terminate LSUs membership. Whether it gets anywhere near that point is still the unresolved part, but the fact it is being discussed says plenty about how serious the conflict has become. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces An Early SEC Test It Can't Afford To Sleepwalk Through
Alabama got through its Week 1 tune-up against East Carolina, but the rhythm of the season changes fast now that SEC play arrives. The Crimson Tides first conference test comes against Kentucky, a team that brings a different look than the usual early-September opponent and one that has already spent the offseason reshaping itself on the sideline and at quarterback.
Will Stein is in place as the Wildcats new head coach, and Kentucky also added a transfer quarterback who was impressive in the opener. That combination is enough to make this more than a routine league game for Alabama, which cannot afford to treat it like a soft landing after the nonconference schedule. The Tide will need to be sharp from the start if they want to avoid turning an early SEC roadblock into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Sent A Confusing Early Message In The Polls
The first full college football polls of the regular season offered an early read on where the sports powers stand, and Alabama got a mixed one. Ohio State stayed No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls, LSU surged to No. 8 after a convincing win over Clemson, and Michigans split showing in the rankings underscored how quickly the first month can reshape a rsum.
For Alabama, the picture was less clean. The Crimson Tide climbed to No. 12 in the AP poll after handling East Carolina, but the Coaches poll told a different story by placing them one spot lower. It is still early, of course, but the discrepancy is the kind of small signal that tends to matter in September, especially for a program used to being evaluated with very little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]