Alabama WR Jalen Hale sends heartfelt message after scary injury in practice

On3’s BOL was able to confirm Alabama wide receiver Jalen Hale suffered a leg injury during practice this week. Nothing has come directly from head coach Kalen DeBoer or anybody inside the program as we await an official diagnosis and return timetable. However, the news is not expected to be good.

Hale has broken his silence though, sending a heartfelt message following his injury. He thanked everyone for reaching out with concern. No update was provided from the player himself either, just thankful for all of the support.

“Good morning everyone just wanna say thank you for all the text and phone I have got so far I really appreciate the support and love and prayers,” Hale said via X.

Hale did not make too much on-field impact during his true freshman season, only having five receptions. However, when the ball was in his hands, Hale made the most out of it. Averaging 29.6 yards per reception, he finished with 148 yards and a touchdown.

The hope was Hale would step up as a key player in Alabama’s offense after some major contributors left — both via the NFL Draft and NCAA transfer portal.

Hale played high school football at Longview (TX) High School, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 38 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Alabama could turn to Caleb Odom at wide receiver in Hale’s abscense

The Alabama Crimson Tide have a new young wide receiver in Caleb Odom on the team. He’s a player that a lot is expected from moving forward and recently earned high praise from new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.

It was during Spring practice when Sheridan praised Odom’s effort and shared that he’s rapidly improving for the Crimson Tide.

“Talented player. No doubt about it,” Nick Sheridan said. “Coach Shep [JaMarcus Shephard] is pouring into him, and he’s getting better each and every day. When you have a young skill player, the stamina, the endurance, the volume of running in practice, the effort. And the thing that I would say about Caleb is that he’s a sponge. He soaks it all in.”

Caleb Odom came to Alabama as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024. He was the 54th-ranked player overall in his class and came to Tuscaloosa as a tight end. However, the decision was made to have him begin spring practice working at wide receiver.