Alabama appears to be without Jermaine Burton vs. Kentucky

Alabama could be without one of their top offensive playmakers as they prepare to kickoff at Kentucky at noon on Saturday.

According to Charlie Potter of On3’s Bama On Line, Crimson Tide wide receiver Jermaine Burton is sick and may not be able to go vs. the Wildcats. Here was that report, which he tweeted out Saturday morning:

He wrote on Saturday morning that Burton was a question mark while several other Crimson Tide players were out as well:

“Alabama head coach Nick Saban ruled out linebacker Deontae Lawson (ankle), safety Jaylen Key (quad) and wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks (shoulder) for Saturday’s game against Kentucky. He also said wide receiver Jermaine Burton may not play against the Wildcats due to an illness. All four were missing from the Crimson Tide’s warmups.”

Burton has 537 yards and five touchdowns for Alabama this season and is the team’s leading receiver by over 100 yards.

According to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Adam Luckett, Burton is a vital weapon for Nick Saban’s offense. He tweeted that Burton did not appear to be on the field during pregame warmups and gave the following breakdown:

“Half of Jermaine Burton’s receptions have gone for 15+ yards. Owns a 70.3% catch rate and 62.2% success rate. Averaging over 20 yards per reception. Alabama has a home run swinging throw game and they look to target Burton often on vertical concepts. This is a significant loss.”

Report on Key and Lawson

By On3’s Barkley Truax

Both Deontae Lawson and Jaylen Key, two of Alabama‘s most productive defenders, were labeled as questionable ahead of Saturday’s matchup against Kentucky. Now, their statuses have been made official, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.

“Alabama will be without two of its top defenders today against Kentucky. Linebacker Deontae Lawson (ankle) and defensive back Jaylen Key (quad) are both out for Alabama Football with injuries,” Low wrote on X. “Lawson is the Tide’s second-leading tackler and Key, their third-leading tackler.”

Both Key and Lawson have been critical pieces of the Alabama defense this year. Key entered Saturday’s game ranked third on the Crimson Tide with 45 tackles and adding an interception on the season. Prior to his departure against LSU, he had a tackle and a pass break-up.

Lawson was seen in a walking boot during Saturday night’s victory over LSU while Key reportedly suffered a quad injury during the game. On Thursday, head coach Nick Saban updated their status after they were already labeled as “very questionable” earlier in the week.