Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who famously sparked Alabama’s comeback in the National Championship Game against Georgia, got banged up in the team’s first spring practice.
Coach Nick Saban noted that Tagovailoa suffered an injury to his throwing thumb.
“They took him to Birmingham to get it checked out,” Michael Casagrande of AL.com reported. “He could be back within a few practices but since it’s his throwing hand, it’s unclear.”
While the news could be worse, it’s certainly not what the Crimson Tide want to hear. Until the beginning of the season, Tagovailoa is likely to be in a rather intense battle with Jalen Hurts to be Alabama’s starter in 2018.
At halftime of the National Championship Game, the Crimson Tide trailed 13-0. At that point, they replaced Hurts — who had been Alabama’s primary starter over the previous two years — with the freshman Tagovailoa. He went 14-for-24 for 166 yards, tossing three touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, Tagovailoa added 27 yards on 12 carries. That helped lead the Crimson Tide to their overtime victory over Georgia.