LEXINGTON, Ky. — Alabama football opens SEC play Saturday at Kentucky without eight scholarship players, including starting right guard Michael Carroll, as the Crimson Tide navigates significant depth concerns for its first road test of the Kalen DeBoer era.
Official Availability Report
Alabama officially ruled Carroll out Friday evening after he spent most of the week listed as doubtful. The specific nature of his injury was not disclosed, though On3 reported it as a concussion . The Crimson Tide will also be without running back AK Dear (ankle), wide receiver Noah Rogers (knee), defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman (torn ACL, out for season), linebacker Cayden Jones, and defensive backs Jorden Edmonds, Nick Sherman, and Zyan Gibson .
Freshman safety Jireh Edwards remains a game-time decision with an arm injury. He did not appear in Week 1 and has not yet made his collegiate debut .
Offensive Line Shuffle
Carroll’s absence is particularly significant — he was Alabama’s only returning offensive line starter from the 2025 season. The 19-year-old logged 74 snaps in the season-opening win over East Carolina and did not surrender a sack .
Ole Miss transfer Ethan Fields is next on the depth chart, though Mal Waldrep Jr. has been splitting first-team reps and is a strong candidate to fill the void . Will Sanders, who won the starting left guard job before the opener, could also factor into the rotation .
Keelon Russell’s First Road Test
All eyes will be on 19-year-old quarterback Keelon Russell, who impressed in his debut with 256 passing yards and 86 rushing yards in the 48-10 win over East Carolina . The redshirt freshman now faces his first true road environment in an SEC stadium.
Kentucky, under first-year head coach Will Stein, is riding momentum after a 45-13 season-opening win over Youngstown State in which the Wildcats racked up 506 total yards. Transfer quarterback Kenny Minchey threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns in his debut .
Series History
Alabama leads the all-time series 39-2-1 and has won eight straight meetings. The Crimson Tide won the last matchup 49-21 in 2023 behind a six-touchdown performance from Jalen Milroe .
How to Watch
· Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT
· Location: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
· TV: ABC
· Streaming: Disney+, ESPN app
Weather conditions are expected to be in the high 70s with clouds, though thunderstorms are possible and could affect play .
