Eleven days after suffering a high-ankle sprain against Tennessee, Alabama junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to return to the practice field.
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban told reporters Monday at the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in downtown Birmingham he thinks Wednesday is probably the first day the Saint Louis alumnus and 2016 Star-Advertiser offensive player of the year will be back on the field.
The second-ranked Crimson Tide have a bye week before next Saturday’s showdown with No. 1 LSU. It is unclear whether Tagovailoa will be ready to play against the Tigers and Saban was about to offer any guesses.
“I just said we’re not making any predictions,” Saban said. “I can’t know. I got no crystal ball. I don’t know how he’s going to do (at) Wednesday’s practice. I don’t know how he’ll do after that.
“If he can perform to the best of his ability, we’re not going to put him in a situation where he can’t perform. If he can perform he’ll be able to play if he can’t perform than he won’t play.”
Tagovailoa was rolled up from behind on a sack in the second quarter of the Tennessee game last Saturday.
Backup Mac Jones went 18-for-22 for 235 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Arkansas on Saturday. Freshman Taulia Tagovailoa also played and was 6-for-8 for 45 yards.
Tua Tagovailoa is completing 74.7 percent (145-for-194) of his passes for 2,166 yards and 27 touchdowns with two interceptions this season.
As of Sunday, Tagovailoa was 4:1 to win the Heisman Trophy based on odds at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, trailing LSU’s Joe Burrow (even) and Okalahoma’s Jalen Hurts (7:4). They remain the three favorites by a wide margin.
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