Nick Saban Confirms ACL Injury for WR John Metchie

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football coach Nick Saban confirmed the injury status of wide receiver John Metchie III, who left Saturday's SEC Championship Game with an apparent injury late in the first half.

While it was reported by multiple outlets later on in the evening that Metchie had suffered a torn ACL, it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that Saban confirmed the injury.

"John Metchie has an ACL and he'll be out," Saban said during the Cotton Bowl coaches teleconference.

Metchie suffered the injury late in the first half while running a route, when something in his knee appeared to give. He was able to walk off the field under his own power but was unable to return.

Alabama was announced as the new No. 1 team in the College Football Playoff on Sunday morning following its 41-24 defeat of Georgia. With Cincinnati being ranked No. 4, the two programs will square off on the gridiron in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

While the game might take place 26 days from Sunday, the injury to Metchie is severe enough to render him out for the game and likely the remainder of the 2021 season.

Earlier on Sunday, Saban made an appearance on ESPN following the announcement of his Crimson Tide being named to the CFP. While he was aware of Metchie's injury, he wasn't 100-percent confident in the diagnosis. Saban took time to break down Metchie's contributions to the team this season.

“John Metchie’s been an outstanding player for us, no doubt,” Saban told ESPN on Sunday morning. “He’s a good leader. He’s the leader of that group in a lot of ways. He has the most experience. He’s been here the longest. He’s been very productive. We hate to see any player get injured. It was a non-contact injury. We haven’t confirmed it yet, but we’re pretty certain that he has a pretty significant knee injury.

“But we have some young players that are gonna have to step up at the position. Some of them have had the opportunity to play, and when they’ve played, they’ve played fairly well. We’re gonna have to use this time to help them develop the kind of confidence and trust that we need to have at every position to be successful on offense.”

On the year, Metchie leads Alabama in receptions with 96 over the course of 13 games. He is also second on the team in both receiving yards (1,142) and touchdowns (8), trailing only Jameson Williams in both categories.