Alabama football will be without a key piece of its defense in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan. According to head coach Kalen DeBoer, fifth-year senior safety Malachi Moore will miss what would have been his final college game.

DeBoer said the absence is the result of a lingering injury issue.

“He’s been going through an injury, pretty much a lot of the season, and just got to the point where he wasn’t going to play,” DeBoer told reporters in Tuscaloosa. “…He’s having surgery, actually today. He wanted to do everything he could to get out there.”

Moore finished the 2024 season with 70 total tackles, including three for loss and a sack. He intercepted two passes, forced two fumbles and recovered another.

The Crimson Tide will finish the year on Dec. 31 in Tampa, after it was the last team left out of the College Football Playoff field.

“Just hats off to how much he loves this place,” DeBoer said. “How bad he wanted to be out there on the field each and every Saturday, and even how bad he wanted to be out there with these guy and finish it off, his career, in the bowl game.

“Unfortunately that won’t happen, but love that kid to death. He’s got a bright future in everything he does. Poured a lot into this place, a lot of passion, a lot of want-to, lot of desire. A lot of things that I know the rest of the team really took from him and learned along the way.”

With Moore out, and Keon Sabb’s continued absence, the Crimson Tide is a bit thin at safety for the ReliaQuest Bowl. DeBoer said Alabama will work to find answers at the spot with some younger players.

He mentioned one in particular.

“We moved Zay Mincey, someone you’re probably not even thinking about much, but a guy that has been moved to safety going back to midseason,” DeBoer said. “And I think that he’s going to be a guy down the road that is someone who we’ll be counting on. He’s getting more opportunities to get those reps out there.”

Alabama and Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Dec. 31. The game will be aired on ESPN.