TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama lost a crucial piece of its defense in its 24-3 defeat to Oklahoma on Saturday. Linebacker Deonate Lawson was knocked out of the game in the second quarter and will miss the remainder of the season with a leg injury.
The Tide called on senior linebacker Justin Jefferson to fill in and will have to lean on Jefferson going forward with Lawson sidelined. Lawson’s injury is undoubtedly a blow for Alabama as it tries to rebound from a crushing defeat. Not only is Lawson the team’s second-leading tackler with 76 but also wears the green dot on his helmet for the defense, serving as the designated player who wears in-helmet communications to receive information from the coaching staff.
Fortunately for the Tide, Jefferson has been ready to step in and not only fill Lawson’s role at the Stinger linebacker spot but also serve as the new designated communicator for Alabama’s defense.
“Justin Jefferson has been doing that all season, he's kind of our number two there in that position and has done a really great job,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. “Obviously, Jihaad [Campbell] can do it. It's just Jihaad plays so many different positions for us that it's hard when a guy's moving around like that for him to be the green dot communication. So we have two guys that certainly can handle it, but Justin will take the majority of the responsibility."
With Campbell becoming more of a utilityman for Alabama’s pass rush, Jefferson will look to relay calls to his teammates and sustain what’s been a strong season for the former junior college player. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is confident in Jefferson’s leadership and says he brings a few different skills to the table than Lawson at linebacker. Jefferson has a slightly smaller frame at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds compared to Lawson’s 6-foot-2, 239-pound build but has been a sure tackler this season. He ranks fourth on the team with 46, along with two sacks. He also ranks fourth on the team with a 77.3 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus.
“Justin can run, Justin is physical, he’s a guy you can count on,” DeBoer said. “He’s really trustworthy. He pours everything into it. He has a team-first mindset, going through spring ball, kind of trying to figure out his role at the time. He’s been ready whenever called upon. He’s worked through his things here and there with injuries, but any guy’s looking forward to that moment. I know that along with the disappointment that we have and how much we love Deontae, we’re also excited about the next man up and the opportunity that it creates for him and so Justin’s a huge fan of our entire team, our coaching staff. We’re all fans of him and want him to go out there and be great and be confident.”
With Jefferson thrust into a bigger role for the Tide’s regular season game, the Pearl River Community College product will be looking to make the most of his opportunity. Wommack also mentioned a few of Alabama’s younger linebackers that have stepped up and will need to continue doing as the Tide looks to take down Auburn for a fifth straight season.
“We've got some young guys that I think are trending in the right direction right now with Jeremiah Alexander and Justin Okoronkwo, Cayden Jones,” Wommack said. “Those guys are doing a nice job to where they're obviously going to have to continue that, and this week is going to be really important. But like everybody, you're going to have some of these injuries that you have to deal with, and it's got to be a next man up mentality. And I think our guys have the right mindset in terms of what they're going to be required to do on gameday."
Alabama will face Auburn at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
