Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer updates the status of RB Jam Miller in concussion protocol

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t wait for the SEC Injury Report Wednesday night to update the status of running back Jam Miller and wide receiver Derek Meadows, two Crimson Tide players who are currently in the concussion protocol. 

Instead, he did so on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday afternoon.

“I expect Derek will be out,” DeBoer said. “And I think Jam, probably what we’ll put would be ‘questionable’ state for the weekend when it comes to the (injury) report tonight. That’s kind of where I see it at right now.”

No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) hosts No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday night (7:30 Eastern Time, ABC) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Both Meadows and Miller were hurt in the 27-24 win at Missouri on Saturday. 

Jam Miller leads Alabama in carries, yards and touchdowns

Miller is Alabama’s leading rusher despite missing three games earlier this season with an arm injury. In three games he has rushed 58 times for 267 yards and a touchdown. 

He had 46 yards rushing and 19 receiving in the win at Georgia on September 27, then 136 rushing at home against Vanderbilt on October 5. He carried 20 times for 85 yards and had 25 yards receiving before suffering the concussion against Missouri. 

He had 12 carries for 42 yards in Alabama’s 24-17 loss at Tennessee last season. 

Meadows, a 6-foot-5, 212-pound freshman receiver from Las Vegas, hasn’t recorded a catch this season. He has appeared in four games this season, against Florida State, Louisiana Monroe, Vanderbilt and Missouri. 

Tennessee is looking for its first win at Alabama since 2003, when the Vols won 51-43 in five overtimes behind 283 yards passing and four touchdowns from Casey Clausen. 

Tennessee has won two of last three against Alabama

Josh Heupel has made the series competitive again with the 52-49 win in Knoxville in 2022 — Tennessee’s first win over Alabama since 2006 — and the 24-17 home win last season. 

The Vols led 20-7 at halftime in Tuscaloosa in 2023, but lost 34-20 after giving up 27 unanswered points in the second half. It was a one-possession game early in the fourth quarter in 2021, with Tennessee trailing 31-24, before Alabama scored 21 straight in a 52-24 win. 

“It’s just one of the greatest rivalries in the country,” DeBoer said on Wednesday. “And it goes way back. And generations of our fans care so much about this game. 

“We understand what it means and we just got to make sure we do our part to get the home crowd going and give them something to cheer about. And  do our part to be our best and find a way to get it done on the end.”