Nick Saban on Bryce Young: 'He's been able to practice some'
Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t wait for reporters to ask before providing a brief status update on quarterback Bryce Young on Wednesday. The Crimson Tide are just a few days away from traveling to Knoxville to face No. 6 Tennessee in the most highly-anticipated game of the week on Saturday.
“There’s really nothing there to tell you,” Saban said on the SEC coaches teleconference. “He’s making progress and he’s been able to practice some. We’ll continue to evaluate him as the week progresses.”
Saban and his squad didn’t need Young to beat Texas A&M in Week 6 but the 24-20 score was a little too close for comfort. After the game, the legendary head coach said his starter would have liked to play, but he wasn’t quite there yet. Saban told reporters that he has made “a lot of progress” since last Saturday.
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“I didn’t think that he was in a position that he could go and effectively do his job the way he’s capable of doing it,” Saban said. “He’s made a lot of progress from that point.”
In place of Young versus the Aggies, Jalen Milroe finished the game 12-of-19 passing for 111 yards. He had three touchdowns and one interception, also adding 17 carries for 83 yards.
Through the first five weeks, Bryce Young accumulated 1,202 passing yards, 154 rushing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and three interceptions.
Greg McElroy: ‘I anticipate him being out there’
This week, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy shared an optimistic prediction on Bryce Young’s status for the Tennessee game.
“Based on what I’ve been told, it’s highly unlikely that the injury can be further aggravated by playing on it, which is great news,” McElroy said. “So I anticipate him being out there, it’s just a matter of whether or not he is without limitations. Like we talked about last week, you’re dealing with an injury that is almost all about pain management. How you manage the pain is kind of up to the extent of the injury and the player himself.”
Alabama and Tennessee kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Knoxville.