Kalen DeBoer provides post-scrimmage injury update on multi-year starter along Alabama’s offensive line
Following the first scrimmage of fall camp, Alabama head coach provided an injury update to one of the team’s starting offensive lineman.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama held its first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday morning. Following that scrimmage, Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed the media and revealed that veteran right guard Jaeden Roberts has been dealing with an injury in recent days. It was framed as an injury report of sorts, but here’s what he had to say about the multi-year starter.
“Jaeden Roberts is still dinged up,” DeBoer told reporters. “He got it in the middle of the week. Just stuff we’re dealing with and will keep evaluating him. So don’t expect it to be a long-term thing, but don’t know his timeline necessarily.”
A lot is beginning to make sense. Roberts has been Alabama’s starting right guard for the last couple of years. Last season, he dealt with lower-body injuries that prevented him from being 100% throughout the year, but from all indications, he’s been healthy and available throughout this offseason, including to start fall camp.
To start, returning lineman Geno VanDeMark and Texas A&M transfer Kam Dewberry were battling it out to replace the departed Tyler Booker at left guard, but Roberts had been a constant on the other side until recently. Over the last few practices that were open to the media, Dewberry was with the first group at left guard with VanDeMark manning the right guard spot. Meanwhile, Roberts was seen with the second group behind the Michigan State transfer.
DeBoer seemed to mention that Roberts got dinged up in the middle of the week, but his phrasing was a little unclear. If that is, in fact, true then it sounds like the injury occurred after the 6-foot-5, 327-pound offensive lineman was seen running with the second group. If that timeline is off, then that could be the reason behind the development, so this is certainly something to monitor.
Roberts only played 18 snaps in his first two seasons, but over the last two years, he’s total 1,072 snaps with 21 starts. That includes 502 snaps and 12 starts this past season. Meanwhile, VanDeMark played a healthy 409 snaps for Alabama in 2024 with a majority of those filling in for Roberts on the right side when he was banged up and unable to go.
Dewberry has plenty of SEC experience too. In three seasons in College Station, he played 1,105 snaps with eight starts.
