Alabama’s Saturday showdown with Texas A&M may come with a thinner-than-usual roster.
On the Friday night SEC injury report, three key Crimson Tide players - center Racin Delgatty, cornerback Zabien Brown and freshman running back EJ Crowell - were all downgraded from questionable to doubtful for the Week 8 matchup in Tuscaloosa. Each had already carried the questionable tag on Wednesday night and again on Thursday night, but the late shift makes their availability look much less likely.
That puts Alabama in a tough spot as it tries to end a two-game skid. The No.
13 Crimson Tide are coming off back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee, and now they could be missing a major chunk of their lineup when they kick off against the Aggies at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Alabama is already set to be without star wideout Ryan Coleman-Williams, who was ruled out earlier in the week. The Crimson Tide will also be without defensive lineman Terrance Green, as expected.
If Delgatty, Brown and Crowell are unable to go, Alabama would be dealing with four notable absences against Texas A&M.
The Aggies got a more encouraging update on their side. Star wide receiver Mario Craver and defensive tackle DJ Hicks were both upgraded from questionable to probable on Friday night. ESPN insider Pete Thamel reported that both are expected to play, though Texas A&M left them on the injury report rather than removing them altogether.
For now, Alabama heads into Saturday with several important questions hanging over its availability picture as it prepares to face Texas A&M at home.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Gets An Opening Alabama Suddenly May Not Close
Texas A&Ms injury picture is looking a lot cleaner heading into its matchup with Alabama, with most of the players who had been listed as questionable now trending to probable. The lone exception on the Aggies report is Anto Saka, who remains questionable, but the overall direction is encouraging for a team trying to stay as close to full strength as possible in a game that figures to demand it.
Alabamas report tells a different story, with three players moving from questionable to doubtful, including running back EJ Crowell, center Racin Delgatty and cornerback Zabien Brown. Those shifts matter because availability in a game like this can swing everything from protection up front to depth in the secondary, and it gives Texas A&M a little more reason to believe the opening is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Sent A Message Before Its Alabama Test
Texas A&M took care of business in emphatic fashion, blanking The Citadel 41-0 for its second shutout of the season. The Aggies didnt just leave with a lopsided win, either, as the performance offered another reminder that this team has the kind of defensive backbone that can travel into a bigger stage.
Now comes the real test in Tuscaloosa against No. 13 Alabama, and the focus inside the program is on sharpening the running game and tightening the defensive approach before that trip. Mike Elko has also shifted defensive play-calling duties to first-year coordinator Lyle Hemphill, a move that gives the head coach more room to oversee the bigger picture as Texas A&M prepares for one of its most important games of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Has A Real Opening In Tuscaloosa This Time
Texas A&M heads to Tuscaloosa this weekend for a 2:30 p.m. matchup at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and this time the trip comes with a little more intrigue than the usual Alabama home date. The Aggies are making their second journey east of the Mississippi River this season, and they arrive with a defense and offense that could both have a say in how the afternoon unfolds against the No. 13 Crimson Tide.
Alabamas recent issues have created a more realistic opening than Texas A&M has often seen in this spot, especially after the Tide stumbled with poor third-down work in their loss to Tennessee. For the Aggies, the challenge is clear: lean into the strengths that have kept them competitive and see whether this is the kind of road test where Alabama can be pushed, rather than the kind where the home team simply settles things early. [Read more 🡒]