He also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Auburn. He’s the best in the country, but we said that he was too valuable to lose. Jaylen Waddle returned a kickoff to begin the game, and he went down with an ankle injury. No one knows the current details regarding Waddle’s injury, but it did not look good. Waddle is currently a top-15 lock for April's NFL draft and a potential top-10 selection. Alabama football fans simply hope that Jaylen Waddle will be healthy soon. When you play against a clearly inferior opponent, all you can hope for is to avoid disasters. October 24, 2020 @ 5:23pm » Matt Lombardi. Jaylen Waddle Is Out For The Year After His Ankle Injury, Per Nick Saban But with the game being like it was, we were really looking for an opportunity to play some other guys at some other positions. Right now, any talk about the future is pure speculation. But that’s the case — and we’re pretty certain that it is — that he would probably be out for the year.”. “Deonte dinged his shoulder a little bit,” Saban said. Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken ankle in the first quarter of Saturday's game against Tennessee. The exact opposite happened for Alabama football on their first play of the game. He was named first team All-SEC as a return specialist. He’s an exciting player to watch. We just kept a couple guys out that we just didn’t want them to get any more banged up, and it gave some opportunity for some other guys to play. Alabama picked up a few other injuries throughout its game against Tennessee on the offensive side of the ball. Your privacy is safe with us. No one knows the current details regarding Waddle’s injury, but it did not look good. Mac Jones was off to a Heisman-worthy start because of the presence of Waddle's deep-ball brilliance and DeVonta Smith on intermediate routes. As long as Waddle is out, the Tide will focus on DeVonta Smith and the rest of their wide receivers. Chase is still expected to be a top-five pick. John Metchie has been a great third option for Alabama, and he will now be the second receiver. It’s a high ankle sprain but also a fracture, so they’ll probably have to do surgery on him. It’s exciting for college football to see a guy play like that. "I think the big thing is that Jaylen has sort of expanded his role and his game to where he can play all the positions at receiver now. In the summer, we wrote about the risks of having Jaylen Waddle return punts and kickoffs for the Crimson Tide. “It’s a shame because the guy is a great player. “It’s a shame because the guy is a great player. His absence will put an onus on John Metchie and Slade Bolden to step up and become reliable downfield targets. Waddle … We’re gonna fly him back privately with doctors and take him right to Birmingham and see what we have to do right away. We can move him around, whereas before he was mostly a slot guy. Powered by Minute Media © 2020 All Rights Reserved. Bolden will also be the starting punt returner until Waddle comes back, and he might keep that role for the rest of the season. *, Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Jaylen Waddle returned a kickoff to begin the game, and he went down with an ankle injury. Offensive lineman Deonte Brown had to leave the game with a shoulder injury which prompted Landon Dickerson to move from center to guard and bring in Chris Owens. Waddle went down on the opening kickoff when a Tennessee defender was bringing him down for a tackle. Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken ankle in the first quarter of Saturday's game against Tennessee. One play into Alabama’s game against Tennessee and the Crimson Tide were at a loss as wide receiver Jaylen Waddle went down with an ankle injury which head coach Nick Saban later said that he would miss the remainder of the season. “I don’t think it’s anything that serious. On the first play of Saturday’s game against Tennessee, Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury, and immediately left the game. Alabama football might have just lost him due to special teams against an inferior opponent. You expect people to double [cover] guys like him, and when you can move him around, it makes it a little more difficult for the defense.". It was good to get those guys some playing time.”. “He’s a great teammate. “The guy’s a great player,” Saban said. He has gotten over 100 receiving yards in every game so far in 2020. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77, “We strive to provide you with the absolute best Alabama football coverage in the world.” - Bennie Bice III, Touchdown Alabama ©2020 Hate that people in college football can’t see a great player the rest of the season.”. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Alabama Crimson Tide and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. B-Rob got a little nicked up, so we kept him out. His absence will be evident later in the season if Alabama makes it to the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff. "He's fun to watch, that's for sure, whether he's in punt return, kickoff return or playing on the field," Alabama coach Saban told reporters. IOS /Android| Apparel, Justin's Recruiting Bites|Recruit Rankings. Against Tennessee and Alabama’s future opponents, Waddle won’t be needed for Alabama to win. Running back Brian Robinson also suffered a few injuries against the Volunteers and Saban gave a quick update on the two of them as well. Waddle returned to the Crimson Tide for his sophomore season in 2019. Chris played tackle. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. to step up and become reliable downfield targets. He was in obvious pain as soon as he was tackled, and he immediately went to the locker room without putting any weight on his right ankle. “It’s really a sad time for me, for Jaylen Waddle … Waddle going down is a true shame for he was in the midst of a breakout season in his junior year. “He’s got a very similar injury to what Kenyan Drake had. Forristall was banged up last week against Georgia with a lower-body injury but was able to return to that game and did the same against Tennessee today. Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle headed to the locker room after rolling his ankle on the opening kickoff https://t.co/68wyzAZW72. If Waddle is out for an extended amount of time, it will be devastating for the Crimson Tide offense. Subscribe| Get the App! They may have to play down the road anyway. A first-team All-SEC selection in 2019, Waddle was off to a blazing start to the 2020 campaign. Waddle went down on … Ja'Marr Chase, the draft's top wideout, is sitting out the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Powered by Wordsrack. “It’s really a sad time for me, for Jaylen Waddle and his family,” Saban said following the game. 4 receiver. One play into Alabama’s game against Tennessee and the Crimson Tide were at a loss as wide receiver Jaylen Waddle went down with an ankle injury which head coach Nick Saban later said that he would miss the remainder of the season. Waddle has been playing like the best wide receiver in college football. He recorded 25 receptions for 557 yards and four touchdowns, recording at least 120 yards in each of Alabama's first four games. He recorded 33 receptions for 560 yards and scored six receiving touchdowns. Slade Bolden will be taking reps as Waddle’s replacement, and he has already played well early in this game. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content! Alabama Crimson Tide news from FanSided Daily, Alabama Football: After ’20 season Tide offense could be feast to famine, Alabama Football: No Jaylen Waddle no problem Saturday but …, risks of having Jaylen Waddle return punts, Alabama Football: SEC Football Week 8 Power Rankings, Cowboys' Andy Dalton Exits with Head Injury vs. WFT; Jon Bostic Ejected for Hit, Alabama Football: Crimson Tide's report card vs. Vols, Alabama Football: Where the Tide goes for a new No. Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports noted Waddle left the stadium in an ambulance. In four games he amassed 25 catches for 557 yards and four touchdowns before the injury. It was good for Chris to play center. A lower-extremity injury isn't something to be messed around with, and it's possible that the injury could hurt his draft stock. Tight end Miller Forristall also appeared to injure his shoulder during one play in the game. While it's far from the top concern at the moment, this is another example of why top college prospects may think twice about playing after establishing their draft position. "Now he can make plays anywhere on the field, and I think that's very helpful. I hate it," Alabama coach Nick Saban.