Alabama’s Playoff linebacker health was already iffy, and it just got worse

Alabama freshman linebacker Dylan Moses is hurt.

AL.com’s Matt Zenitz reports Moses “suffered what’s feared to be a season-ending foot injury during the Crimson Tide’s practice on Monday.”

Alabama has elite talent up and down the roster, but the loss of Moses would be especially problematic given the injury problems the Tide already have. Starting mike linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton hasn’t played since fracturing his kneecap in a win over LSU on Nov. 4.

Another inside linebacker, Mack Wilson, was hurt near the end of the regular season but returned in time to play against Auburn on Nov. 25. Outside backers Christian Miller and Terrell Lewis both missed most of the season but played in the Iron Bowl, too.

Moses is listed as a co-starter with Wilson on the Tide’s depth chart for the Sugar Bowl Playoff semifinal against Clemson on New Year’s Day. Moses was a five-star recruit in the class of 2017, when many evaluators thought he was the best player in the country at one point. Wilson was a five-star in 2016, so it’s not like Bama’s stressed for talent.

But the Tide aren’t just playing any team. They’re playing Clemson, one of the only teams in the country with talent anywhere near the Tide’s level. Alabama’s defensive front got shoved around a bit in its Iron Bowl loss, when Auburn ran for a (relatively) huge 3.43 yards per carry.

The Tide could be fine, but Bama-Clemson’s going to be a close game. Losing Moses would mean Alabama having to rely even more heavily on a bunch of players who have been injured recently.