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What's next for Alabama football defense after losing LB Que Robinson to injury?
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- What's next for Alabama football defense after losing LB Que Robinson to injury?
Alabama football will be without one of its prominent pass rushers for the remainder of 2024.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack and head coach Kalen DeBoer confirmed Que Robinson's season-ending injury Monday after the redshirt senior left Alabama's 42-13 win against LSU in the third quarter with an arm injury.
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Robinson left the injury tent Saturday and walked to the locker room with a sling on his left arm.
"Just a special, special person in every way," DeBoer said. "I hate to see a guy who pours so much into it, you know, go through what he's going through. The one thing, when I think about Que, it's not just what he does on the field. But pre-practice, he is mentoring, doing things for other guys. You know, he just cares so much about the team, he cares so much about just this place."
In nine games, Robinson has been one of the Crimson Tide 's leading pass rushers with four sacks, sharing the team lead with Jihaad Campbell , and seven tackles-for-loss.
Aug 31, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Que Robinson (34) hits Western Kentucky quarterback TJ Finely (2) as he throws at Bryant-Denny Stadium during the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Robinson was the No. 65 player in the 2020 class per 247Sports' composite rankings, one of 10 top-100 players who signed with Alabama in its No. 2-ranked class.
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Who will replace Que Robinson for Alabama football ?
Wommack knows the size of the gap Robinson leaves.
Robinson holds "the standard of urgency, practice habits, discipline that it takes" to shine as a Wolf linebacker at Alabama, something DeBoer said the redshirt senior helps mentor younger players to follow.
But Wommack has already seen younger players step up in Robinson's spot, guys like Qua Russaw , a redshirt freshman who was called by teammates and coaches to "cut it loose," guys like Yhonzae Pierre , who had battled injuries for much of the season but is starting to provide more production.
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It's a loss that also promotes versatility, forcing linebackers such as Campbell, Deontae Lawson and Justin Jefferson to make up for pass rush capabilities Alabama is losing with no Robinson.
"Those guys are excited for the challenge. Next man up mentality," Wommack said. "As the season goes on, these are the defining moments is do player step up in the moment when they're needed? And, ultimately, that will determine our success here in the back end of the season."
Alabama will also be without linebacker Keanu Koht , who DeBoer said is indefinitely suspended.
It's not just production Alabama is losing.
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It's the energy Robinson brings, the effort he shows. It shows up on game day, Wommack said. And it's something that is much harder to replicate and replace.
"Ultimately, when you have a guy that's been a really steady presence and a playmaker on defense, those other guys are going to have to step up at the moment," Wommack said.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What's next for Alabama football defense after Que Robinson injury?
