The Tennessee Vols were dealt a tough blow when starting junior cornerback Rickey Gibson III suffered a significant injury in UT’s season-opening win over the Syracuse Orange.

Gibson, an Alabama native who was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school, played just 19 snaps against Syracuse before suffering the injury.

The injury to Gibson has forced Tennessee to lean on true freshman cornerback Ty Redmond.

Redmond has done a solid job for the Vols, but he’s still very much in the development phase of his career. As a result, he’s been picked on by opponents in the passing game.

VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Friday for his weekly appearance, and he was asked about Gibson’s status at the midpoint of the season.

“He stands on the sidelines in a sling,” said Hubbs when asked about Gibson. “So, I don’t think he’s going to play this year. If they make a playoff run, maybe [he plays]. But if he’s still in the sling, he’s not doing any real rehab right now of any note. So, I would be surprised if Rickey Gibson suited up this year at any point. He’s definitely not going to in the regular season.”

When Gibson suffered the injury, the speculation was that it would keep him sidelined long-term.

Based on Hubbs’ comments on Friday, it sounds like the timeline for Gibson hasn’t changed.

With junior cornerback Jermod McCoy still recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during the offseason (he’s yet to practice with the team, according to Hubbs), the Vols will continue to lean on Redmond and Colorado transfer Colton Hood at cornerback.

Tennessee Vols RB DeSean Bishop is expected to play against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday

Vols redshirt sophomore running back DeSean Bishop had a huge game in Tennessee’s win against the Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend.

But he finished the game on the sideline due to a leg/ankle injury.

Bishop rushed for a season-high 146 yards against the Razorbacks before exiting the game late in the second half.

Hubbs told Ramon and Will that he expects Bishop to “give it a go” against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.

“DeSean is a guy who has lived in the training room this week and has done what he needs to do to get himself in a position to play,” said Hubbs. “I think that he is going to play.

“I saw him walking through the complex on Tuesday [in] regular shoes. He didn’t have a boot on. There wasn’t anything like that going on, which is a real positive. He wanted to go back in the game after that injury, which looked really bad, by the way, but he just couldn’t push off the way he wanted. He didn’t have the juice with it, if you will. The trainers ruled him out. He’s going to give it a go on Saturday, I believe. I think we’ll see him suit up. I think we’ll see him play. Can he take 15 to 20 carries? I don’t know. We’ll see.”

Bishop is very important to Tennessee’s offensive success, so it’s good news that he’s expected to play against Alabama. But even if he does play, it sounds like Vols fans will see plenty of running backs Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis.

Tennessee and Alabama are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. The Vols are looking for their first win in Tuscaloosa since 2003.

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