During the Crimson Tide’s warmup for their season opener against Western Kentucky, starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor was seen leaving the field early and heading to the locker room. When he returned, he was out of uniform, with his left shoulder appearing to be in a sling.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed Proctor’s status during the postgame press conference, stating, “Unfortunately, it did just catch me by surprise. He couldn’t go tonight, and we’ll evaluate tomorrow to determine the severity of it. We’ll know more as the week progresses.”
Following Proctor’s pregame injury, the coaching staff opted to replace him with Elijah Pritchett, who was originally set to be the second-unit right tackle. Pritchett had been competing for the right tackle position throughout the preseason but lost the starting role to Wilkin Formby. For the game, Formby held down the right tackle spot while Pritchett stepped in at left tackle.
Despite limited practice time at left tackle over the spring and summer, Pritchett managed to fill the role effectively.
In a follow-up press conference on Monday, it was confirmed that Proctor had injured his left shoulder. Coach DeBoer mentioned that Proctor’s condition would be monitored throughout the week, expressing optimism that they could manage the injury in the coming weeks.
Proctor’s availability for the upcoming game against South Florida, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, remains uncertain. DeBoer added, “We’ll have to see closer to the end of the week. If it were up to him, he’d probably be out there. But we need to be smart and cautious, especially earlier in the week.”
