Freshman linebacker Dylan Moses suffered a foot injury in practice on Monday, coach Nick Saban confirmed in a brief statement. He will be out indefinitely.
“Dylan Moses injured his foot in practice on Monday. He will be out indefinitely,” the statement read in full.
If Moses is unable to play in the Sugar Bowl against Clemson, he would be the seventh Alabama linebacker to miss a game due to injury this season. The position has been hit with injuries all season long.
“It’s something you can’t control, it’s just something you’ve got to kind of just live with,” inside linebacker Rashaan Evans said on Tuesday. “And for us, all we can do right now is just do all the little things and get prepared for this game and just worry about what we can control.”
The true freshman has 30 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception this year. He started the last two games at inside linebacker for the Crimson Tide.
Starting outside linebackers Christian Miller (biceps) and Anfernee Jennings (ankle) were both injured in the season opener against Florida State. Terrell Lewis (elbow), a top backup at outside linebacker, was also injured in that game. Those losses pushed Moses and several young players to the field early this season.
Evans was also injured in the opener. Fellow starter Shaun Dion Hamilton (knee) was lost for the season against LSU, in the same game in which sophomore inside linebacker Mack Wilson (foot) was also injured.
“I don’t know too much about what really is going on with him, but I mean regardless of what it is, Dylan is going to be a great athlete, regardless of what’s going on right now,” Evans said on Tuesday. “He’s a mentally strong guy, so regardless of what it is, he’ll be fine.”
Those injuries required the coaching staff to move Moses to inside linebacker to fill in. He led Alabama with 11 tackles against Mercer, along with four tackles for loss and an interception. He also had a team-high 10 tackles against Auburn.
Jennings and Evans missed two games each. Miller, Lewis and Wilson returned to the field in the Iron Bowl and have participated in practice as Alabama began preparations for Clemson.
Here’s a list of the linebackers who have missed games for Alabama this season and the number of games they have missed:
Christian Miller – 10
Terrell Lewis – 10
Shaun Dion Hamilton (out for season) – 3
Anfernee Jennings – 2
Mack Wilson – 2
Rashaan Evans – 2
