Hugh Freeze updates Auburn's lengthy injury report entering bye week

Auburn‘s bye week couldn’t come at a better time, with the Tigers dealing with a length injury report coming off a very physical game against Georgia.

A handful of players were on the list of updates coach Hugh Freeze provided on Wednesday on an SEC teleconference call.

“Ja’Varrius (Johnson) has a hamstring, he just couldn’t feel like he could run well enough,” Freeze said. “He looked pretty decent yesterday, so I’m hopeful he’ll be ready for LSU.”

Freeze is also hopeful running back Damari Alston can be back in time to play against LSU after suffering a separated shoulder.

“He looks decent,” the first-year Auburn coach said. “I would expect him back for either LSU or Ole Miss.”

Perhaps the biggest injury occurred in the secondary, where Auburn showed signs of wearing down late after losing a key veteran. That veteran was Jaylin Simpson, who has proven to be one of the nation’s best defensive backs.

With Simpson gone, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers went to work and helped lead the comeback.

“Jaylin Simpson, obviously we missed him terribly in the fourth quarter,” Freeze said. “He had done a remarkable job in coverage, and him going out in the fourth quarter against Georgia was really devastating. He’s better yesterday and was better today, but still a ways away. Hopefully he’ll be ready for LSU.”

Then there are a handful of players who will be out for a longer period of time on the injury report. Two may still be able to return later this season, depending on how they are diagnosed going forward.

One is linebacker Austin Keys.

“Austin I want to say we went over that this morning, I think he’s about three weeks away from them deciding if it’s whatever they’re going to do with the cast, the pins, to kind of see where it is,” Freeze said. “So he’s still a ways away before we know about that, I think it’s about three weeks.”

Also on the injury report is defensive back Keionte Scott.

“Keionte’s doing, I think he’s ahead of schedule with that surgery, but really couldn’t tell you exactly what we’re looking at there,” Freeze said. “Hopefully can get him back toward the end of the year.”

Finally, there was an update on a player who has been ruled out the rest of the season.

“Unfortunately we lost Mosiah (Nasili-Kite) for the year, that’s going to really hurt us in the defensive line,” Freeze said. “He tore his biceps in the game.”

Nasili-Kite had accounted for 10 tackles, a half tackle for a loss and two quarterback hurries through the first five games.