His surgery went well, but Nick Saban told reporters on Monday that there is not a timetable for Tua Tagovailoa’s return.
The Alabama quarterback suffered a twisted ankle and had a tightrope procedure done, following the matchup against Tennessee. After sustaining the injury in the second quarter, Tagovailoa went to the locker room before halftime and did not return.
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While the issue is not as bad as people thought, not having last year’s Heisman runner-up and consensus All-American for this week versus Arkansas has a created a reason for concern among the Crimson Tide’s fan base. According to Terrell Lewis, the junior outside linebacker told the local media personalities after the game that Tagovailoa said ‘I will be back for LSU.’
As he rests this week, the coaching staff looks at Mac Jones and Taulia Tagovailoa for homecoming against the Razorbacks. Jones, a sophomore, has been doubted by critics yet his teammates have full trust in him. Slade Bolden (receiver) and Miller Forristall (tight end) both view Jones as the definition of ‘hard work’ and ‘next man up,’ while Forristall said he has the same confidence in Jones that he has in the older Tagovailoa. It will be interesting to see how reps are divided up in practice between the two and how Steve Sarkisian crafts the game plan.
In Monday’s airing of In My Own Words, yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine provides an update on Tagovailoa and discusses why Jones against Arkansas is perfect for Alabama.
You can also listen to the audio version of the podcast via Spreaker.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
