Alabama Wolf Linebacker Out for Season With Neck Injury

Jah-Marien Latham was hospitalized last week following a neck injury he sustained during practice.

The Crimson Tide players and coaches work during practice Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. Alabama defensive lineman Jah-Marien Latham (20) moves between turns in a drill. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Alabama Wolf linebacker Jah-Marien Latham will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury, per Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer.

Latham sustained the setback during last Tuesday's practice, and he was transported by an ambulance to UAB St. Vincent’s Hospital for further evaluation and care.

"Just with everything, he'll be out for the season, so it's unfortunate," DeBoer said during Monday's press conference. "He can have a healthy recovery. He'll recover fully, and so that's the main thing, the big picture of everything, but unfortunately, we won't have him back this season."

DeBoer said on Sept. 24 that "he’s got motion and feeling" and that "he's doing well."

Latham is a sixth-year senior at Alabama and had two tackles in the Florida State game before suffering a lower-body injury, which forced him to miss the Louisiana Monroe and Wisconsin matchups. Things were looking up in Latham's lower-body recovery as he was a game-time decision for Wisconsin, and it seemed like he would've been available for Georgia this past Saturday evening.

Starter Qua Russaw and reserve Yhonzae Pierre saw more time in Latham's absence against Wisconsin, as they both recorded a sack. However, Russaw broke his foot in the first half against Georgia and he will also miss some time this season.

Pierre is expected to be the main Wolf linebacker for Alabama for a while. The redshirt sophomore performed well on Saturday in the win over the Bulldogs when his role increased, finishing with four total tackles. True freshman Justin Hill and redshirt freshman Noah Carter are also likely to move up in the depth chart in Latham and Russaw's absence.

Latham is the program's longest-tenured player, as he was a freshman in 2020. In other words, he is the only player on the Crimson Tide's roster who was a member of Alabama's most recent College Football Playoff National Championship victory.

The 23-year-old appeared in 44 games across his six seasons, tallying 44 tackles and 2.5 sacks with a fumble recovery. He's primarily played Wolf during the last two seasons for the Crimson Tide, but has spent time at Bandit and even played as an interior defensive lineman in passing situations.

Latham's best season came in 2024, as he totaled 27 tackles, including two for loss (-9 yards) and one sack (-8 yards). He also contributed three quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble across 11 starts and 12 games of action.

He's an Alabama native from Reform and played high school football at Pickens County, where the former four-star recruit was ranked as the No. 25 defensive lineman in the class of 2020 and the No. 9 prospect in the state.