LT Overton Cleared to Play in Rose Bowl Against Indiana

The Crimson Tide senior has not played in the team's past two games, including the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Oct 12, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman LT Overton (22) celebrates after recovering a South Carolina fumble at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated South Carolina 27-25. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Senior Alabama Bandit LT Overton, who has missed the No. 9 Crimson Tide's past two games, was cleared for a return to action on New Year's Day against No. 1 Indiana in the Rose Bowl and plans are for him to play against the Hoosiers. He had been sidelined by an undisclosed issue pertaining to his health.

The news of Overton's expected return was first reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Overton made a social media post hours prior to that report which read "Back like I never left." Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer noted Monday that he would not be ruling Overton out yet.

"LT, just continuing to monitor him. Definitely not ruling him out right now. But we'll continue to evaluate him and see how things go here in the days ahead," DeBoer said Monday afternoon.

Overton, who transferred into the program from Texas A&M in 2024 and returned for a second season in crimson and white over the 2025 NFL Draft, appeared on the initial availability report prior to the SEC Championship Game. It was sudden, and there wasn't any semblance of ambiguity about his status for that contest, which the Crimson Tide (11-3) lost 28-7: He was listed as out from the get-go.

In 12 games during the regular season, Overton registered 35 tackles (21 solo), six tackles for loss and four sacks. He also has four quarterback hurries to his name. The Alabama defense performed well without him in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Oklahoma this past Friday, sacking Sooners quarterback John Mateer five times.

The re-addition of Overton to the defensive front comes at a pivotal time, considering the offense that will oppose Alabama in Pasadena on Jan. 1. The quarterback for the Hoosiers (13-0) is 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who has a talented group of receivers around him. The Crimson Tide's pass-rush effectiveness is going to be an important component to its success on defense in the game.

The Rose Bowl will mark the first time ever that Alabama and Indiana have played each other in football. The victor is set to move on to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta; that game will take place inside the same venue that, without Overton, the Crimson Tide surrendered 28 points to Georgia (albeit with the handicap of having to start multiple drives with short fields).