Nick Saban lists Deontae Lawson, Jaylen Key as 'very questionable' vs. Kentucky

Throughout the week, Nick Saban has said both Deontae Lawson and Jaylen Key are day-to-day as they try to return from injuries. Both players left last week’s game between Alabama and LSU, and Saban said Thursday’s practice would be crucial for their status against Kentucky.

However, Saban said neither player practiced, and they’re both “very questionable” for Saturday’s game.

“They haven’t been able to practice much this week, so very questionable for this game,” Saban said on Hey Coach and The Nick Saban Show. “Hopefully, we can get them back in the near future. So it’s gonna be an opportunity for some other guys to step up on our team in this particular game.”

Lawson was seen in a walking boot during Saturday night’s victory over LSU while Key reportedly suffered a quad injury. Saban’s update Thursday night is in line with what he said during his press conference on Wednesday about what practice would mean for Saturday’s matchup.

“They haven’t been able to practice yet,” Saban told reporters. “But it’s still kind of day to day. If guys can’t practice on Thursday, it’s probably pretty tough for them to practice in the game. Maybe we’ll know more tomorrow.”

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.

As for Lawson, he ranks second on the team with 52 tackles along with two sacks for Alabama this season.

Alabama has been rolling since a Week 2 loss to Texas, winning seven straight games since to bring an 8-1 record into this week’s tilt against Kentucky. The Crimson Tide have two more conference games remaining — the Wildcats on Saturday and the Iron Bowl against Auburn in the final week — and Saban stressed the importance of finishing strong as Alabama tries to make a run to the College Football Playoff.

“When you have two emotional games back-to-back, that kind of sets up a little mental trap for you,” Saban said. “It’s pretty much human nature and it’s pretty pervasive that when you have things like that happen, that people have a little like psychological let-down.

“It’s almost like watching a scary movie and you’re all excited and then, in the end, the bad guy gets killed, and everybody’s relieved. You have big games and you feel kind of the same way. It’s psychological in nature.”