Alabama may have lost a starting linebacker for the season just weeks before the team's season-opener against Duke. According to AL.com, senior linebacker Josh McMillon suffered a knee injury during a scrimmage on Saturday that will ultimately keep him sidelined for, if not the entirety of the season, most of it. While Alabama has yet to confirm the severity of the injury, AL.com reports that it's "likely a season-ending injury." The report does go on to say there's a "small chance" McMillon could return late in the year.
"Probably the guy that is most concerning that they have to do some research on is Joshua McMillon [Saturday] with a potential knee injury," Saban told 247Sports on Saturday following the injury. "So, we'll have to see what that is."
McMillon, a redshirt senior, hasn't played a major role on the Crimson Tide defense during his first four years on campus. He tallied 14 tackles, with one for a loss, in 10 games last season.
Despite his inexperience, McMillon has been running with the first-team defense throughout the duration of the offseason. If he is out for a significant period of time, Ale Kaho -- who briefly stepped away from the program in May -- could be the next in line to start alongside star middle linebacker Dylan Moses. After Kaho, Saban and defensive coordinator Pete Golding would have to either move players to different positions or rely on one of several true freshmen to fill the void.
The injury on Saturday came along with news that Trey Sanders, a five-star running back signee in the class of 2019, could reportedly miss the entire season with a foot injury suffered in practice this week. Saban confirmed Saturday that Sanders will have to undergo surgery as a result of the injury.
Alabama will travel to Atlanta to play Duke in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic on Aug. 31.
