Nick Saban Updates Jordan Battle, Byron Young and JoJo Earle Status
The Alabama Crimson Tide prepares to play its first SEC road game of the season this Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The No. 20 Razorbacks are set to "Red Out" Reynolds Razorback Stadium and the No. 2 Crimson Tide need to be prepared for a difficult test.
The Crimson Tide have been relatively fortunate through four weeks of the season on the injury front but Alabama fans would feel better about the weekend's matchup if three players with lingering issues were fully available.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban addressed Jordan Battle, who appeared to pull a leg muscle against Vanderbilt, and Byron Young, who sprained his ankle against the Commodores, at his Wednesday press conference.
“Both guys practiced some today so hopefully they’ll both be ready for the game, but it’s day-to-day. When you have these kind of injuries it’s how they feel the next day. So we’ll see how it goes tomorrow," said Saban.
The defense is facing one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL in KJ Jefferson. Battle and Young's health are paramount to Pete Golding's ability to shutting down the Razorbacks.
Saban continued his injury update talking about sophomore wide receiver JoJo Earle and his availability. Earle broke his foot during preseason practice and has yet to play this season.
“He’s practiced this week, but again the same day-to-day as these guys coming off injuries. It’s not always about just what they were able to do today, but how does it affect tomorrow. We’ll see how he is on a day-to-day basis and make a decision on that tomorrow," said Saban.
The Alabama wide receivers had a breakout game on Saturday against the Commodores, but adding Earle into the mix only makes the offense more difficult to prepare for.
The Tide and Razorbacks square off on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.