⚡ CFB Dashboard

- KICKER: One minor note from pregame so far: Anderson Green is the second punter to make the trip, not Adam Watford, along with starter Alex Asparuhov.

- Alabama starting RG Michael Carroll was downgraded from doubtful to out for Kentucky on Friday's SEC availability report. Carroll played 74 snaps against East Carolina; Bama247 cites sources saying he is recovering from a mild concussion. His Kentucky absence is confirmed by the report, rather than merely projected. - Bama247 identifies William Sanders and Mal Waldrep as possible Alabama starting guards at Kentucky after they split left-guard time in the opener; the replacement pairing is not confirmed. Sanders entered the opener with an oblique injury but has not appeared on this week's SEC availability report. That omission alone is not an explicit medical-clearance announcement. - Alabama RB AK Dear is ruled out for Kentucky after previously being listed questionable. He also missed the season opener. The article does not identify the reason for his absence or announce how his carries would be redistributed. - Alabama freshman CB Zyan Gibson was added to the SEC availability report Thursday and ruled out for Kentucky. The article supplies no diagnosis or replacement assignment. These reported absences precede the next scheduled availability update Saturday afternoon.

- Alabama's Daniel Hill remains the lead running back in the reporter's assessment after rushing for 47 yards against East Carolina, while EJ Crowell, Trae'shawn Brown and Kevin Riley also received work in the opener. - Alabama is projected by the reporter to settle around a three-back rotation with Crowell favored for the second spot and Brown competing with AK Dear for the third, but neither that order nor a clear separation in workloads is reported as finalized. - Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer expects AK Dear back soon from a lower-leg injury, but the report does not give a specific return date or confirm availability for Kentucky. - Alabama coordinator Ryan Grubb praised Hill's contact balance and ball security and Brown's acceleration and decisive cuts, while Brown's long touchdown was erased by holding rather than counted in his official production. - Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell led the team with 13 carries for 86 yards against East Carolina, establishing a meaningful quarterback-running contribution in the opener without proving that he will lead the rushing workload every week.

- Alabama starting right guard Michael Carroll was listed doubtful for Kentucky, with BamaOnLine reporting a concussion and a possible Week 3 return against Florida State only if recovery proceeds as expected rather than a confirmed clearance date. - Alabama coordinator Ryan Grubb said Will Sanders had dealt with an oblique injury during the opener week, when Mal Waldrep played 44 snaps to Sanders' 32, and the article did not confirm that Sanders had fully recovered. - Alabama had not named Carroll's replacement, with the writer identifying Sanders and Waldrep as the leading guard options and weighing Sanders' recent right-guard practice experience against preserving his continuity on the left. - Alabama's published experience totals showed Sanders with 225 offensive-line snaps exclusively at left guard and Waldrep with 44 at left guard plus eight at center, so a move to right guard would differ from their documented college game work. - Alabama could consider transfer Nick Brooks as an emergency guard option given his predominantly left-guard experience at Texas, but the writer stressed the competing need for reliable right-tackle backup behind Jayvin James rather than predicting Brooks would start inside.

- Injury: If Dear has the explosiveness we have been hearing before his injury and was in fact at the top of the depth chart, I see it as follows.

- Roll Pod hosts identified Kevin Riley as the Alabama player most likely to lose snaps and potentially become the odd man out of the discussed rotation, presenting that as their projection rather than an announced decision. - The hosts expected Daniel Hill to remain in Alabama's playing rotation, while treating the third rushing role as a choice still to be made.

- Ryan Grubb praised Keelon Russell's calm response to coaching and off-schedule ability but identified two poor passing decisions and late reads, timing, footwork and sliding as priorities to reduce unnecessary scrambles and hits. - Alabama's left-guard rotation partly reflected William Sanders battling an oblique issue all week, with Mal Waldrep having taken substantial first-team camp reps; Grubb said Sanders is doing well now and wants greater lineup consistency. - Grubb said Alabama's RPO usage will depend on the opponent and available throws rather than dominate every game plan, with conventional under-center runs and receiver blocking remaining deliberate parts of the offense. - Grubb said Alabama will continue featuring Ryan Coleman-Williams despite his drops, emphasizing that the receiver responded confidently and held onto catches through contact. - Grubb praised Daniel Hill's square-shouldered power and ball security through contact and Trae'shawn Brown's cutting and breakaway speed, while noting that Brown's long run was called back rather than counting as a completed explosive play.

- Intel: Looks like the two freshman RBs are in the top 3 rotation already, of course it might change when Dear comes back.

- QB/OL: Keelon is still a RF, or Sophomore, whatever in his first start wiifh an OL that was seriously inconsistent at times.

- QB: Alabama QB Keelon Russell shined in his debut as a starter, finishing with 342 total yards (256 passing + 86 rushing) and a rushing TD vs.

- Alabama listed William Sanders and Mal Waldrep Jr. as co-starters at left guard; Waldrep also projects as the first reserve at all three interior offensive-line spots. - Jayvin James is listed first at right tackle with Nick Brooks pressing for snaps, the one offensive-line position the report viewed as unsettled entering the opener. - Three large Y tight ends in Kaleb Edwards, Josh Ford and Danny Lewis, plus Marshall Pritchett's improved blocking from the hybrid H role, point to heavier personnel and a renewed emphasis on the run game. - Ryan Coleman-Williams is listed at X but is expected to move across the formation, with Rico Scott at Z and Lotzeir Brooks in the slot; Noah Rogers is unavailable for the opener. - Daniel Hill, Trae'shawn Brown, Kevin Riley and EJ Crowell are all listed as co-starters at running back, and Brown could receive a larger Week 1 workload than expected; Keelon Russell is the clear starting quarterback ahead of Austin Mack and Jett Thomalla.