To Alabama football , Deontae Lawson was the steady presence in the box defensively, one that led the defense both on the field, manning the green dot in-helmet communication for the entire unit, and off.
Lawson left Alabama's 24-3 loss to Oklahoma with a lower-extremity injury, one that would later be ruled as a season-ending injury, Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday.
"Just an amazing leader," DeBoer said of Lawson. "Chosen team captain by the team. I can see not just what he means for us on the field, but the love that our players have for him, especially those that have been through multiple years, seeing what he has poured into it. I know we all feel for him. We appreciate everything he's been doing. Obviously, he will be greatly missed what is able to do on the football field. But we love having that guy in the locker room, leading our team."
Lawson's impact had been felt against the Sooners . In the second quarter, Lawson had two fumbles and a fumble recovery. But a tackle against Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold put Lawson out for the remainder of the loss, and for the rest of the Crimson Tide 's season.
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"When you lose a guy that is, really he is kind of your steady maker in the box, does such a great job with the greet dot communication and is such a good leader for our guys and a great communicator on the field, that's tough," Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. "That's a tough loss for sure. But I think our guys have stepped up."
That starts with Justin Jefferson: the 2023 junior college transfer from Pearl River Community College in Mississippi who has the fourth-most tackles on the team with 45 along with five tackles-for-loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.
Standing at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Jefferson is "a little bit (of a) different style" of linebacker, DeBoer said, one who is smaller than Lawson. But Jefferson is everything the Crimson Tide wants, one who has "been ready whenever called upon."
"Justin can run. Justin's physical. He's a guy you can count on," DeBoer said. "He's really trustworthy, pours everything into it. He has a team-first mindset."
Jefferson's been "trustworthy" enough to be Alabama's No. 2 on green dot in-helmet communications all season, something he will take over Saturday.
But it won't be only Jefferson.
Wommack said "young guys" like Jeremiah Alexander, Justin Okoronkwo and Caden Jones are "trending in the right direction" and could be called upon with Lawson out.
"Like everybody, you're going to have some of these injuries that you have to deal with, and it's got to be a next man up mentality," Wommack said. "And I think our guys have the right mindset in terms of what they're going to be required to do on game day."
With no Lawson, DeBoer admits there is disappointment. He knows there's a lot of love and appreciation Lawson has.
But there is also excitement for Jefferson, who will be one of 10 scholarship players that will be honored in the Crimson Tide's senior day ceremony before the Auburn game.
"We want him to go out there and be great," DeBoer said.
Alabama kicks off against Auburn at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium on ABC.
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 Deontae Lawson injury?
