The Alabama Crimson Tide’s quest for another national championship just got a lot tougher. Head coach Kalen DeBoer announced on Monday that star linebacker Que Robinson will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after suffering an elbow injury in last Saturday’s 42-13 victory over LSU.
Robinson, a 6-foot-5, 241-pound redshirt senior, has been the heart and soul of Alabama’s dominant defense this year. He is tied for the team lead in sacks (4.0) and ranks second in tackles for loss (7.0) and quarterback hurries (5). His presence on the field and leadership in the locker room will be sorely missed.
“Just a special, special person in every way,” DeBoer said of Robinson. “I hate to see a guy who pours so much into it going through what he’s going through. The one thing, when I think about Que, it’s not just what he does on the field, but pre-practice he’s mentoring and doing things for other guys. He just cares so much about this team and cares so much about this place.”
Next Men Up for Alabama at Linebacker
With Robinson out, the Crimson Tide will turn to a pair of talented redshirt freshmen to fill the void at outside linebacker:
- Qua Russaw – The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder was a five-star recruit in the class of 2023. He has flashed immense potential in limited snaps this season.
- Yhonzae Pierre – Another highly touted member of the 2023 recruiting class, Pierre checks in at 6-foot-4, 228 pounds. He has been a key special teams contributor.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack challenged the young linebackers to rise to the occasion: “As the season goes on, these are the defining moments, do players step up in the moment when they’re needed? Ultimately, that will determine our success here in the back end of the season.”
Tide Also Dealing with Koht Suspension
As if losing Robinson wasn’t enough, Alabama will also be without reserve linebacker Keanu Koht for the foreseeable future. DeBoer announced that Koht has been suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons after not making the trip to LSU.
While Koht hasn’t been a major contributor this season, his absence further depletes an already thin linebacker corps. The Crimson Tide may need to get creative with their personnel packages and rely more heavily on their talented defensive line and secondary.
Huge Test Looms vs Georgia
Alabama’s revamped defense will face its stiffest test yet on September 7th when the #3 Georgia Bulldogs come to Tuscaloosa. Led by Heisman candidate quarterback Brock Vandagriff and a potent rushing attack, the Dawgs will surely look to exploit any weakness in the Tide’s front seven.
“We know Georgia is going to come in here ready to make a statement,” said Alabama safety Kamari Lassiter. “But we have faith in the guys in our locker room. Injuries are part of the game, it’s next man up. We’re going to rally around each other and be ready for the challenge.”
– Kamari Lassiter, Alabama safety
The Alabama-Georgia matchup could have major College Football Playoff implications. With both teams currently sitting in the top 4 of the rankings, a loss would be difficult to overcome, even this early in the season. For the Crimson Tide, proving they can still dominate on defense without Robinson will be critical to keeping their championship aspirations alive.
