Alabama fears star wide receiver John Metchie III sustained a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s 41-24 victory against No. 1 Georgia in the Southeastern Conference title game.
ESPN reported Sunday that Crimson Tide officials believe Metchie tore his left ACL.
He exited the victory over the Bulldogs in the final minute of the first half after sustaining the injury in a non-contact situation while running a pass route. He walked off the field under his own power but did not return.
No. 3 Alabama (12-1, 7-1 SEC) will enter the College Football Playoff without one of its key weapons.
Metchie leads the team with 96 receptions and ranks second in receiving yards (1,142) and touchdown catches (eight).
“John Metchie is probably going to be out now, and we have a couple other guys that may be injured,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said after the game. “It creates a lot of opportunity for a lot of other players. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get them to step up.”
Metchie caught six passes for 97 yards on Saturday, including a 13-yard touchdown from Bryce Young for a 14-10 lead with 9:46 left in the second quarter.
The 6-foot, 195-pound junior had been widely expected to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft.
–Field Level Media