Kalen DeBoer Updates Roster Health After First Day of Fall Camp

Alabama wrapped up its first practice of fall camp on Wednesday, and afterward, head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about the health of two key players who suffered season-ending injuries last season.

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Deontae Lawson tore his ACL during Alabama's 24-3 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in late November last season. Lawson told us during SEC Media Days that he would be ready to start fall camp, and he was spotted on the practice field today during the media viewing portion of practice.

Kalen DeBoer was asked about the health status of his top linebacker on Wednesday.

"His trajectory is going up," DeBoer said. "Deontae, you know his leadership is the thing that I really think has come out, so that's exciting. He's gonna be limited in just the number of reps, the volume, I guess, is the best way to put it, and what he can take as expected. That was gonna be the plan, just with his timeline from the beginning, but it's great having him out there.

"I think he feels really good about being out there," DeBoer continued. "Mentally and physically, I think he's in a really good spot, but there's still progress to be made as we build for the first game."

DeBoer was also asked about wide receiver Jalen Hale, who continues to rehab from a significant knee injury he suffered in spring practice in 2024. Hale practiced during bowl prep for the Reliaquest Bowl against Michigan and in spring practice for Alabama.

"Just Jalen Hale, and where he was at a year ago with the injury, actually in the spring, a pretty significant injury at the time. Between he and our medical staff, just doing an awesome job of pushing forward. Our whole team is proud of him, not just me," DeBoer said. "We talked about that in the Winter, during December, I remember addressing it with the team. Guys being excited about having him back out there, finally doing some things with the team.

"The spring was the next step, then through the summer, and him being out there. You know, there's reps he hasn't taken, banked reps that other guys have. He's still learning as we go; every rep he's going to get more and more confident, but he's certainly got a lot of tools, and we want to see his growth, and I'm excited about that this fall."

Check out Kalen DeBoer's full press conference below.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.