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Kalen DeBoer offers injury updates on Jalen Hale, Jaylen Mbakwe and Cayden Jones

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter10/13/25Charlie_Potter
Alabama WR Jaylen Mbakwe
Alabama WR Jaylen Mbakwe (Gary Cosby Jr. / Imagn Images)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Three Alabama Football players showed up on last week’s availability reports and were ruled out for the Crimson Tide’s road game against the Missouri Tigers. They were wide receivers Jalen Hale and Jaylen Mbakwe and linebacker Cayden Jones.

On Monday, to kick off Tennessee week, head coach Kalen DeBoer offered updates on all three.

“Jalen Hale has been sick. That was the reason why he, last minute, got put on the report,” DeBoer said. “Bak had a hand injury in practice last week. He’ll be back out there practicing, and we’ll see kind of as the week goes on how he goes there. Obviously, he’s a receiver, so that affects him a little bit, but there’s other things he can do for our football team. And again, he’s in great spirits, and so he’ll go through that. 

“… Cayden Jones had surgery on an ankle injury, and so, he’ll be down for a little while.”

Hale, a redshirt sophomore, has played in four games this season. He returned to the field in the season opener for the first time since Alabama’s 2023 campaign, as he missed all of last year with a significant knee injury. Hale has yet to catch a pass this season, however.

Mbakwe, a sophomore, has played in three games this season. After playing in 12 games as a true freshman in 2024, Mbakwe made the move from cornerback to wide receiver during the Crimson Tide’s postseason preparation. He logged a couple of first-team offensive snaps versus Vanderbilt two weeks ago and caught a 16-yard pass against ULM in Week 2. 

Jones, a sophomore, has played in five games this season. He played in 11 contests last year as a freshman, mostly contributing on special teams. That has also been his role this season, as there are three fifth-year seniors ahead of him at inside linebacker. Jones has registered a pair of tackles and one quarterback hurry in his time on defense and special teams.

DeBoer also said Jam Miller and Derek Meadows are both going through concussion protocol.

Alabama will welcome Tennessee to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Oct. 18 (6:30 p.m. CT on ABC).

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