Nick Saban said redshirt freshman Terrion Arnold was "sick" leading up to Alabama's road trip to LSU this week, forcing the redshirt freshman to miss the game in Baton Rouge.

"He had the flu," Saban said. "He missed Tuesday through Friday's practice. He kind of got better, but hadn't practiced all week and was still feeling pretty weak so that's the reason he didn't make the trip."

The former No. 4 cornerback in the 2021 recruiting class won the starting job out of camp and garnered 409 snaps through seven games. However, against Arkansas, Texas A&M and Tennessee Arnold struggled, allowing a combined 197 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

As a result, his NFL passer rating skyrocketed tallying 122.9 and 99.3 against the Razorbacks and Volunteers respectively.

The struggles forced Alabama to make a personnel change against Mississippi State as Ricks made his first start in more than two years and made his debut with the Crimson Tide. The LSU transfer played the whole game against the Bulldogs while Arnold filled in on special teams.

While he's missed two games, Arnold has recorded 32 total tackles along with an interception and four pass breakups.