Deontae Lawson, Jaylen Key will not play vs. Kentucky

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.

“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.”

That ended up not being the case, and both will miss Saturday’s road trip to Lexington.

The opening kickoff from Kroger Field for Saturday’s Week 11 matchup is scheduled for Noon ET live on ESPN. Alabama is an 11-point favorite on the road while the over/under total is set at 46.5 points. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Nick Saban ‘excited’ about his offense’s progress, confidence this season

Alabama has come a long way from losing to Texas at home during Week 2. The Crimson Tide have rattled off seven consecutive wins since, and aren’t expected to slow down before the regular season is over.

Head coach Nick Saban was taken notice of his offense’s progress over the past several weeks and explained what has made offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ squad click after its early season wake-up call. 

“I’m really excited about the way our offensive team has kind of developed and grown and improved throughout the course of the year,” Saban said on his weekly coaches show. “I think they’re developing a lot of confidence. Some of the younger, more inexperienced guys are developing more and more confidence which, I think, contributes to the consistency that we’re able to play with.”

Read more here.