Alabama football loses wide receiver for up to 2 months with injury

JoJo Earle, Alabama Crimson Tide. (Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
JoJo Earle, Alabama Crimson Tide. (Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Alabama football team will be without JoJo Earle for the better part of two months now.

The Alabama football team’s receiving corps took a hit with JoJo Earle sustaining a Jones fracture.

Nick Saban said Earle will be out six-to-eight weeks with this injury. With Alabama losing so much off its receiving corps with Jameson Williams, John Metchie III and Slade Bolden all turning pro, the Crimson Tide were counting on Earle to be an integral part of their offense. Earle will miss the Crimson Tide’s first three games of the season (Utah State, Texas, ULM), and possibly two more.

The earliest Earle could return from his Jones fracture would be Sept. 24 vs. lowly Vanderbilt.

Alabama football: WR JoJo Earle to miss 6-8 weeks with a Jones fracture

While presumptive national title favorite Alabama is favored to win all of its regular-season games, the Crimson Tide could really use him for their fifth and sixth games on the year: At Arkansas on Oct. 1 and home vs. Texas A&M on Oct. 8. For whatever the reason, the Hogs tend to play the Crimson Tide close. As far as the Aggies are concerned, they did beat Alabama last year.

Although Alabama can still get to Atlanta with a 7-1 SEC record, the Crimson Tide do not want to lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to Arkansas or Texas A&M. The Razorbacks and the Aggies are widely seen as the two biggest challengers for the Crimson Tide in the SEC West this season. Fortunately, Alabama has Nick Saban, Bryce Young and Will Anderson at the peak of their powers.

As long as Saban is still coaching, Young is still slinging it and Anderson is still imitating Derrick Thomas, the Crimson Tide should be just fine. Not to say they are a lock to make the College Football Playoff because no one is, but it would be earth-shattering if Alabama does not make the four-team field. However, the Crimson Tide did lose a ton of skill-position players from last year.

There is no reason at all to rush Earle back any sooner than the Arkansas road game on Oct. 1.

Next. College Football Rankings: FanSided Preseason Top 50. dark

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.