Alabama WR Jalen Hale's Recovery Inspiring Teammates, Coaches

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— A major knee injury in the spring of 2024 stopped redshirt sophomore Alabama wideout Jalen Hale from playing in the first year of the Kalen DeBoer era. Hale has work to do to make up the missed time, but has returned to the field with hopes of playing a factor at his position.

"Our whole team is proud of him, not just me," DeBoer said on Wednesday after the team's first fall camp practice. "There are reps that he hadn't taken... And so he’s still learning as we go and every rep, he’s gonna get more and more confident. But he’s certainly got a lot of tools, and I want to see his growth, and I'm excited about that this fall.”

Hale brought in five passes with 148 yards and one touchdown as a true freshman in 2023. He was able to get back to the practice field just prior to the end of last season, ultimately not appearing in a game, but going through routes on the gridiron in calendar year 2024 was a victory in itself.

"Jalen's amazing. He's one of my favorite stories," offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Thursday. "The difference physically in how he looks [since the spring] is just amazing. Honestly, he's probably one of the more inspirational things that's happened on this football team."

Alabama's wide-receiving corps represents one of the deepest position groups on the roster. The squad's top two receivers from last year, Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams, lead the pack. Bernard doesn't seem to think recovery and a subsequent learning curve have slowed Hale down.

"Hale has been really, really explosive," Bernard said Thursday. "But I already knew that, man. Hale has always been explosive. Just for him to come back from his injury and still, and be better than what he was, it's really a blessing. You can see how God has been working with him."

If Bernard's evaluation is correct, Hale stands to manufacture a role for himself in a room that also includes Miami (Fla.) transfer Isaiah Horton, speedster Rico Scott, highly touted freshmen Derek Meadows and Lotzeir Brooks and others.

"We talked about that [Hale] in the winter. During December, I remember addressing it with the team," DeBoer said. "Guys being excited about him finally doing some things with the team. And then the spring was the next step, and through the summer, him [being] out there."

Fall practice has only just begun; however, Hale has his sights on more than solely being a feel-good story. The Texas native is more than talented enough to be a playmaking piece in Grubb's offense, and help the Crimson Tide on its pursuit of getting back to the College Football Playoff.