No. 2 Alabama defensive end LaBryan Ray left Saturday’s 47-23 win over South Carolina early with a foot/ankle injury and it’s unknown when he will return.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban revealed Monday that Ray is now out indefinitely.
“We’re doing further testing to see what it is with his foot,” Saban said, “but it’s undetermined how long he’ll be out.”
A former 5-star recruit in Alabama’s 2017 class, Ray appeared in six games as a true freshman before breaking his foot and missing the remainder of the Crimson Tide’s title hunt. He recorded 2.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2017 and continued to deal with foot problems, but battled his way to the field and became an impact player for the Tide, recording seven tackles in wins over Duke and New Mexico State. He was a preseason All-SEC selection this season.
Ray’s is the third major injury to hit Alabama’s defensive front this season. Linebackers Joshua McMillon and Dylan Moses are out for the season and were replaced by freshmen, and true freshman Justin Egoibe will start in Ray’s stead at defensive end.