One of the more useless endeavors from Thursday’s final Zoom session with Kirby Smart and Nick Saban was trying to elicit answers regarding their respective injured players for Saturday’s SEC Championship (4 p.m., SEC Network).
Although the questions need to be asked, reporters had to do so knowing straight answers would not be forthcoming.
That was certainly the case with Smart. who was asked about the status of left tackle Jamaree Salyer (foot), defensive back Christopher Smith (knee), running back Kendall Milton (knee), and wide receiver Kearis Jackson (ribs).
“Yes, we're hopeful to have all four of those guys be able to play,” Smart said. “They've been able to participate in parts of practice all week and we feel good about them. But again, it will boil down to a game-time decision, how they are in warmups and how they look.”
However, sources to UGASports, and Smart’s own answers to the identical question earlier this week seem to indicate positive news.
Smart said Monday that Jackson was actually feeling much better after injuring his ribs against Georgia Tech, and was expected to play.
Saban, likewise, was not about to spill any beans, especially as it pertained to leading rusher Brian Robinson, who left last week’s game at Auburn with a lower leg (muscle) injury.
“We're doing some things with him today in practice and we'll see how he responds. So it's going to be day to day,” Saban said. “We'll just have to see how it goes.”
Saban certainly hopes Robinson will be a go. Alabama is already without three scholarship running backs with injuries, and if Robinson cannot go, that would leave Trey Sanders as the only healthy scholarship back.
The ankle of starting center Darrian Dalcourt was also addressed.
“Pretty much the same situation that B. Rob's in. He's been able to practice on a limited basis,” Saban said. “We'll see what he can do today, how he responds to it, and it's going to be a day-to-day situation as well.”
Meanwhile, the status of starting cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (undisclosed) remains unclear after missing the Auburn game.
“He's been able to do just a limited amount of things. He doesn't play a position where, if he's not full speed, he can be expected to play, but we're still going to sort of look at him on a day-to-day basis, too, and see how he progresses,” Saban said. “So, we'll just have to wait and see.”
