Kalen DeBoer Gives Health Update on Deontae Lawson

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Deontae Lawson was in a knee brace but did not sport a black no-contact jersey on Wednesday during Alabama's first practice of fall camp. Head coach Kalen DeBoer said the linebacker will be limited at this stage as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL.

"His trajectory is going up," DeBoer said. "He is gonna be limited, in just the number of reps... [That] would be the plan just with his timeline from the beginning."

Lawson had recorded 76 tackles before going down in a late-November game at Oklahoma with the injury, which ended his season and likely prevented him from choosing to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. He is Alabama's sole returning captain this fall.

"I'm just excited that I'm able to get a chance to win a national championship, because I remember that was something that I said when I first came to Alabama, that I wanted to be a champion before I left," Lawson said at SEC Media Days earlier this month.

The redshirt senior is almost back to full health, by his own admission, and plans to be ready to play on August 30 in the Crimson Tide's season opener against Florida State. Up until that time, the staff will be cautious with him in camp to protect his long-term health.

It has only been just over eight months since Lawson sustained the injury. A torn ACL is far from a sprained ankle, turf toe or something of the like. It comes with an arduous recovery process that is both physically and mentally demanding. DeBoer is optimistic about where Lawson stands in those respects.

"It's great having him out there. I think he feels really good about being out there," DeBoer said. "Mentally and physically, I think he's in a really good spot, but there's still progress to be made."