Tua Tagovailoa recovering better than expected from ankle surgery

Tua Tagovailoa is out Saturday vs. the Arkansas Razorbacks, but the Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterback is very likely to be back vs. the LSU Tigers.

The Alabama Crimson Tide look to stay undefeated on Saturday night when they host the listless Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Normally, the Tide would cook the Hogs, but Alabama will be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in this ball game, as he suffered a high ankle sprain in last Saturday’s home win vs. the cross-divisional rival Tennessee volunteers.

Redshirt sophomore Mac Jones will be starting in place of Tagovailoa on Saturday night, but the Tide shouldn’t be too worried about their star signal-caller’s health. According to Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Tagovailoa is “doing even better than expected” in his recovery from the tight-rope surgery he had last Sunday.

Alabama will be on bye next week, as the Tide get ready for their annual clash with the LSU Tigers, presumably for the right to represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship in Atlanta in early December. Saban and his Alabama staff are being cautious with their star quarterback, but there is a reason for all of us to believe that Tagovailoa will play vs. the Bayou Bengals in two weeks.

Saban said this on ESPN’s Golic and Wingo on Thursday, “These things are hard to predict, but we want him to be three or four days non-weight bearing, and then he can sort of go as tolerated relative to his rehab. He was back on the field in 12 days before the last one. This one doesn’t seem to be quite as serious as the last one, and it’s not his plant foot to throw.”

Tagovailoa suffered a similar injury on his other ankle, his plant ankle in the 2018 SEC Championship Game vs. the Georgia Bulldogs last December. He was able to play in the Tide’s national semifinal game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2018 Orange Bowl, as well as the national title against the Clemson Tigers after hurting his ankle in early December.

Alabama needs Tagovailoa close to 100 percent if the Tide want to beat LSU this season. Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow is playing at an elite level in the LSU offense. Jones won’t have what it takes to hang with Burrow and the Bayou Bengals should he have to start another game for the Tide. Fortunately, it seems that Tagovailoa is on his way back to good recovering from his injury.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.