Alabama’s already thin offensive line took another hit early Saturday against Texas A&M, when left guard William Sanders went down in the second quarter and did not return.
Sanders was helped off at Bryant-Denny Stadium after appearing unable to put weight on his right leg. After spending a short time on the Crimson Tide sideline, he headed to Alabama’s locker room on a cart. The ABC broadcast said he would miss the rest of the game because of a lower leg injury.
The injury left Alabama scrambling up front. Under normal circumstances, Mal Waldrep would have been the next man in at left guard. He had battled Sanders for the job through preseason camp and drew strong reviews from Alabama’s coaches.
But Waldrep was already filling another gap. Center Racin Delgatty suffered a leg injury late in Alabama’s loss to Georgia and had been sidelined since, pushing Waldrep into the center spot against the Aggies.
That meant sophomore Kaden Strayhorn was the one sent in to replace Sanders. Strayhorn transferred to Alabama from Michigan this offseason and had previously appeared in four games as a reserve. He is the son of NFL offensive line veteran Jason Strayhorn.
Sanders’ availability has been a recurring issue for Alabama. He missed all of spring and summer with injuries, then mounted a late push in camp to beat out Waldrep for the starting job.
Even with the setback, Alabama finished the drive on a high note. The Crimson Tide scored to take a 17-14 lead with 5:13 left in the first half, as Keelon Russell connected with Daniel Hill for a touchdown.
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Delgatty is expected to miss a second straight game, while Brown and Crowell were hurt in that Tennessee matchup and now face a questionable path to Saturday. On the other sideline, Texas A&M got a bit of a boost with two players upgraded to probable, adding another layer to a game where availability could matter as much as form. [Read more 🡒]