TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Although University of Alabama junior Amari Cooper wasn’t leading the other wide receivers through individual drills when reporters were allowed to observe, he was at practice and doing some running Monday afternoon.

Cooper, who sustained a bruised knee last Saturday, was playing the role of the jamming defensive back as his teammates broke off the line of scrimmage. He wasn’t wearing any extra support.

“He’s feeling good,” senior quarterback Blake Sims said earlier Monday. “He’s bouncing around, ready to play.

“I think he’s the most exciting guy on the team.”

Cooper was one of numerous players who left the game against Western Carolina with an injury: Sophomore A’Shawn Robinson (ankle), freshman left tackle Cam Robinson (ankle), senior fullback Jalston Fowler (stinger), sophomore linebacker Reuben Foster (neck/shoulder), senior tight end Brian Vogler (knee), and redshirt freshman wide receiver ArDarius Stewart.

Junior running back T.J. Yeldon (ankles), senior wide receiver DeAndrew White (hamstring) and sophomore kicker Adam Griffth (undisclosed) were also held out for precautionary reasons along with junior linebacker Denzel Devall (ankle).

Yeldon and White were back in their usual spots while most of the rest were limited, with senior Austin Shepherd taking snaps at left tackle and sophomore Grant Hill filling in at right tackle.

The two exceptions were Vogler and Stewart, who Coach Nick Saban called “questionable.” Both were in black no-contact jerseys and wore a protective brace after sustaining strained knee ligaments when someone landed on the back of their legs.

Stewart was filling in for White against WCU, but Vogler is a second-year starter with 46 games of experience.

“Brandon Greene has played quite a bit,” Saban said about the tight position. “We have a lot of confidence in O.J. Howard, he can certainly (do it). Dakota Ball has played quite a bit at that position, so those guys have all gotten experience as the year has gone on. They’ll all have to contribute in some role in this game.”

But Cooper’s injury at the end of his 27-yard reception to set up Alabama’s first touchdown was the one to take the steam out of the Bryant-Denny Stadium fans. With 90 receptions for 1,349 yards – both Crimson Tide single-season records – he’s been by far its most productive playmaker on offense.

Against the six opponents that are in the top 50 nationally in pass-efficiency defense he’s caught 56 passes for 817 yards with seven touchdowns. That includes two 200-yard performances, one of which was at Tennessee, which at the time led the Southeastern Conference in that category.

The reason why those statistics are so telling this week is that Saturday’s opponent is rival Auburn (7:45 p.m. ET, ESPN), which ranks 51st in pass-efficiency defense.

Cooper has faced the Tigers twice and had a 100-yard game in both. In 2012 he had 109 yards and two touchdowns, and last year connected with AJ McCarron for the longest play in Alabama history, a 99-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter en route to 178 yards on six catches.

“Amari Cooper has done a great job for us his entire career,” Saban said. “I think he’s improved and been a more productive player each year as he’s matured as a person and a player and gained more knowledge and experience. He’s had a phenomenal year this year.

“He’s featured in a lot of things and has seldom disappointed us in the way he’s preformed and the way he’s played. We’re just trying to get him in a position to hopefully finish strong and put a great cap on what has so far, been an outstanding year.

Despite missing most of the Western Carolina game he still leads the SEC and is sixth nationally in receptions per game (8.2) and is third in the country in receiving yards.

With one more reception he’ll break essentially the last Alabama receiving record still standing: career catches. Cooper and DJ Hall (2004-07) both have 194, and he’s the first receiver in Crimson Tide history to top 3,000 career yards.

Cooper also has 26 career receiving touchdowns, while no one else has more than 18 (Dennis Homan, 1965-67).

No wonder his teammates are almost never surprised by what he does any more.

“I think the game against Mississippi State when he made that catch, man that was a great catch,” Sims said about Cooper’s 50-yard reception to set up Alabama’s second touchdown. “Things he’s been doing, I’ve seen a million times and I’m just happy for the success he had this year.”