Alabama Latest Injury Report.

Alabama Latest Injury Report: William Sanders Out Multiple Weeks as Bye Week Arrives at Critical Time

 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama finally gets a break. After eight consecutive weekends of football, the Crimson Tide enter their lone bye week of the 2026 season, and not a moment too soon.

 

The latest injury report comes with good news and bad news. The good: several key starters who missed Saturday’s 31-20 win over Texas A&M are expected to return when Alabama travels to LSU on Nov. 7. The bad: starting left guard William Sanders is likely to miss multiple weeks with a lower-leg injury suffered in the second quarter against the Aggies.

 

Sanders Injury: The Most Significant Blow

 

Sanders, a junior who has started all eight games this season, was seen with a boot on his right foot and walking with crutches after the win. He has allowed just one pressure all season, the fewest among Alabama’s starting offensive linemen.

 

Coach Kalen DeBoer did not sugarcoat the prognosis.

 

“He’s probably the one guy that could be out for a little bit,” DeBoer said. “So, we’ll kind of see more tomorrow. But maybe not a week or two, might be a couple more than that”.

 

With Sanders sidelined, Kaden Strayhorn was the first lineman off the bench against Texas A&M. Mal Waldrep Jr., who has been filling in at center, is another option at left guard once Racin Delgatty returns.

 

The Growing List of Absences

 

Alabama was already shorthanded before Sanders went down. The Crimson Tide played without four other starters against Texas A&M:

 

· Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR — Out after arthroscopic knee surgery for a meniscus injury. The team captain and leading receiver has now missed two straight games.

· Racin Delgatty, C — Missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury suffered against Georgia. Mal Waldrep has started in his place.

· Zabien Brown, CB — A bright spot in a secondary that has struggled against the pass, Brown was injured against Tennessee and did not play Saturday.

· Terrance Green, DT — Ruled out on Wednesday’s availability report.

 

Reserve running back EJ Crowell also missed the game with a lower-body injury, while defensive lineman London Simmons went down alongside Sanders against the Aggies.

 

Optimism Heading into the Bye

 

Despite the lengthy list, DeBoer struck an optimistic tone about the bye week’s timing. Alabama does not play again until Nov. 7 at LSU, giving the training staff nearly two full weeks to get players back.

 

“We’re optimistic” that “a lot” of players will be able to return for the LSU game, DeBoer said.

 

The bye comes after a grueling stretch that saw Alabama play every weekend from Sept. 5 through Oct. 24, including consecutive losses to Georgia and Tennessee that threatened to derail the season before the win over Texas A&M steadied things.

 

Linebacker Caleb Woodson, a transfer from Virginia Tech experiencing his first SEC schedule, was candid about the toll.

 

“Definitely a toll on our bodies. You know, every week, we’re going at it, so this bye week’s gonna be good for us to get our bodies back,” Woodson said.

 

Even team captain and safety Bray Hubbard showed up to postgame press conferences in a walking boot on his right foot, though he quickly clarified it was “precautionary” and that he was “fine”.

 

What It Means for LSU

 

The timing matters. Alabama’s next opponent, LSU, also has a bye week before the Nov. 7 matchup in Baton Rouge. Both teams will be rested, but only one will be closer to full strength.

 

For Alabama, the bye week is less about scheme and more about bodies. The offensive line, in particular, needs Delgatty back to stabilize the interior. If Sanders misses extended time, the combination of Waldrep, Strayhorn, and others will need to hold up against an SEC defense on the road.

 

The secondary needs Zabien Brown. The receiving corps needs Coleman-Williams. The running back room needs Crowell.

 

DeBoer’s message was simple: rest, recover, and return ready for the final four games of the regular season.

 

“We’ll know more tomorrow,” DeBoer said of Sanders. “But we’re optimistic about getting a lot of guys back”.

 

For a team that just avoided a third straight loss and kept its SEC championship hopes alive, the bye week may be the most important opponent left on the schedule.