Alabama began its week of preparation for Tennessee on Saturday with a standard outdoors practice on Monday. The Crimson Tide was in helmets but no pads to start the week.
Here are some observations from the open period:
- All three of Alabama’s sophomore wide receivers were dressed but appeared limited. That’s no surprise for DeVonta Smith (pulled hamstring) but was a little unexpected for Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy. Ruggs, of course, left the game after being tackled near the sideline and went to the locker room with some kind of leg injury but returned. Jeudy played the whole game and was available to the media on Monday (significant because injured players don’t speak to the media).
- Nick Saban said earlier today that Smith was day-to-day and the most questionable of Alabama’s injured players. Hamstrings can be finicky, of course. I wouldn’t worry about the other two receivers for now, though we’ll check on them later this week.
- Tua Tagovailoa looked about like he did in practice last week. Had a brace on his right knee but was warming up, just standing instead of kneeling as the quarterbacks threw to get loose. Saban said Tagovailoa is “probably better this week than he was last week.”
- Also in case you missed it, Saban was asked whether he sent any plays from Saturday to the league office for review or whether they contacted him about any plays and he said this: “I visited with Commissioner Sankey about Raekwon’s actions and we will handle that internally. We will have him do some things. I think it should affect his playing time in the future.”
- Davis was still at practice and working with the defensive line as normal on Monday.
- Shyheim Carter, who has sported a club on his hand for practice in recent weeks, upgraded to a heavy wrap today. You could see his thumb and some fingers sticking out which he didn’t have with the club. He said he hit his hand on a helmet during the Ole Miss game.
- Tight end Kedrick James (high ankle sprain) was still out. Don’t expect him back for a little while longer.
- Former Alabama AD Hootie Ingram was at practice today.
That’s all for now. We’ll be back tomorrow.
