Deontae Lawson will not return to Alabama’s Week 13 contest against Oklahoma on Saturday night.
Lawson suffered a lower-body injury in the second quarter against the Sooners in Norman. Per an Alabama spokesman, he will not be medically-cleared to play again in this game.
Alabama LB Deontae Lawson has a lower extremity injury and is OUT for the game vs. Oklahoma, per UA spokesperson
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) November 24, 2024
That’s massive news for Alabama on a number of levels. For one, Lawson is a leader on the Tide’s defense and has been extremely productive this season. He entered this game as Alabama’s second-leading tackler with 74 on the season. He also has 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 1 interception on the season.
Lawson is also Alabama’s designated “green dot” on the field, meaning he can communicate with Alabama’s coaching staff in-between plays. With Lawson out of the game, Alabama is turning to Justin Jefferson to take his place in the lineup.
Even before Lawson went down, Alabama was struggling to defend Oklahoma’s running game. The Sooners rushed for 202 yards in the first half, with 95 coming from quarterback Jackson Arnold.
Alabama is in a must-win situation on Saturday night if it wants to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Crimson Tide have already lost 3 games so far this season, and a third defeat would put their postseason aspirations in serious jeopardy.
Alabama is 2-3-1 all-time against Oklahoma.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
