The Alabama Crimson Tide are expected to be without reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young when they take on the Texas A&M Aggies in Week 6, according to a college football source who spoke to PFN Insider Aaron Wilson.
Young, who injured his shoulder against Arkansas last week, was said to be a game-time decision this week during practice but will likely be unable to go against the Aggies.
Bryce Young Expected To Be Out, Jalen Milroe Set to To Start
According to a source, Young is expected to miss the game against Texas A&M despite optimism around his availability this week. In his place, Jalen Milroe is set to get the start against the Aggies as the Crimson Tide seek atonement for last year’s 41-38 defeat.
Young injured himself during the game against Arkansas when he broke contain to his right and came down awkwardly on a sack near the sidelines. He stayed in the contest for another drive, throwing one pass that clearly took its toll on him.
Young jogged to the sidelines with his arm at his side and threw his helmet down in pain before ultimately leaving the field with trainers. It was said Young had no structural damage to his right throwing shoulder as he was held out of throwing drills at practice this week.
“There was no reason for him to throw a lot this week,” Saban said after practice on Thursday.
Milroe, who relieved Young against Arkansas, has appeared in four games this season, seeing the majority of the snaps against the Razorbacks after mop-up duty to start the year. He completed 4-9 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, seeing the majority of his impact on the ground, where he ran for 91 yards and another score.
Originally a four-star prospect from the state of Texas, Milroe was the 13th-ranked quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He chose Alabama over offers from a bevy of other Power-Five schools, including Texas A&M.
The redshirt freshman appeared in four games a season ago and has never thrown more than 10 passes in a single outing.
What Will the Alabama Offense Look Like Without Bryce Young?
Alabama’s offense will certainly look a bit different with Milroe in the lineup if Young indeed does not play. Even if Young is able to make the start, it’s likely he’d be limited in throwing the football. The injury is one that limits the amount of torque he can put on his body, thus limiting the downfield passes that he predicates his game on.
With Milroe at quarterback, Jahmyr Gibbs is certainly expected to carry a larger load from his running back spot. Making matters even worse for the Tide is the fact that Jase McClellan was also banged up against Arkansas, injuring his elbow in the second half against the Razorbacks.
Saturday’s contest between Alabama and Texas A&M doesn’t lack in drama following the offseason saga that was Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban bantering. Despite them settling their beef, the fact remains that Fisher became the first of Saban’s former assistants to defeat Saban in the regular season.