The news wasn’t unexpected, but Alabama football will be without one of its starting safeties for the rest of the 2024 season. redshirt sophomore Keon Sabb underwent surgery, and will be out for the year, after sustaining a lower-body injury against Tennessee.

Sabb was spotted on the field using a mobility scooter following the Crimson Tide’s Saturday win over Mercer.

“As far as a timeline, I can’t give that to you right now,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday. “I know it would be obviously through this season, but we expect him back and ready to roll for next year, of course. But that’s just something that, I see him and I love his commitment level to our program, and we want to support him as he goes through these times. Injuries are hard for guys, this isn’t their only identity, but this is a big part of what they do.”

DeBoer had previously said Sabb “will be down for a while,” but hadn’t officially ruled him out for the year.

Sabb transferred to Alabama after beginning his college career at Michigan, where he won a national title in 2023, beating the Tide in the College Football Playoff’s Rose Bowl semifinal along the way. He quickly assumed a starting role, and finished the season with 39 tackles and two interceptions.

Bray Hubbard has taken over Sabb’s job in the meantime.

“He had his surgery and was away from us for a few days there,” DeBoer said of Sabb. “But he’s just a guy that really has grown relationships with the team, and we want him around here. He’s one of those guys, like the others that are done for the year too, that care so much about this team and we care about him.”

Alabama will return to action on Saturday, when SEC play resumes with a trip to Oklahoma. That game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT in Norman, and will be aired on ABC.