Kalen DeBoer Not Ruling LT Overton Out for Rose Bowl, Expects Injured Starters to Play

Overton hasn't played since the Iron Bowl, but his status for the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day is not yet official.

Sep 7, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) rolls away from Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman LT Overton (22) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 42-16. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said the program will continue to monitor the health of Bandit LT Overton, who missed both the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff first-round contest against Oklahoma.

As of Monday, the senior's official status for the Rose Bowl against No. 1 Indiana on Jan. 1 is unclear. DeBoer did not provide any insight into what has kept Overton sidelined since he popped up on the initial availability report for the SEC title game and was unexpectedly listed as out on that report.

"Definitely not ruling him out right now," DeBoer said Monday. "We'll continue to evaluate him and see how things go in the days ahead."

Overton appeared in all 12 of Alabama's games during the regular season. He recorded six tackles in a single matchup twice, at Missouri and at Georgia, and logged two solo tackles on Nov. 15 the first time the team played against Oklahoma. He was one of the defense's most important returning players for this season, along with players like linebackers Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson.

Nose guard Tim Keenan III and defensive back Red Morgan, both of whom sustained relatively minor bumps and bruises against the Sooners, are expected to be available when the No. 9 Crimson Tide (11-3) squares off with Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers. It will be the Alabama program's second trip to Pasadena in the past three seasons.

"Tim was a little bit sore after the game, but I'm expecting that he'll be good to go," DeBoer said. "Maybe still working through it here early in the week, but we got some time... Lower extremity [for Morgan], really kinda the same as TK. I would expect him to be ready to go."

Keenan missed the first three games of the season due to a lower-body injury, debuting at Georgia on Sept. 27. He had one of Alabama's big plays on Friday night, wreaking havoc on a dropped punt attempt by the Sooners and notching the recovery to set the Crimson Tide up on a drive where it kicked a field goal to make the score 17-10.

Morgan, a sophomore, was described last week by Kane Wommack as the best striker in the defensive unit. He got the start in last month's game against Oklahoma and logged one quarterback hurry opposite John Mateer this past Friday night before leaving the matchup early.