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Alabama wide receiver and returns specialist Jaylen Waddle’s status remains “on hold” for Monday’s college football playoff national championship against Ohio State, coach Nick Saban said Thursday.
Saban said Waddle trained this week but it will likely be a game day decision.
“I have no crystal ball to know,” Saban said.
Waddle suffered a sprained ankle and fracture combination against Tennessee in mid-October, and he has not appeared in a game since.
Teammates John Metchie and DeVonta Smith have said Waddle has looked good since returning to practice this week, but neither would predict if he would be ready to play against the Buckeyes on Monday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Waddle is considered one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football.
The Houston junior started this season with at least 120 yards received in each of the first four games and led Alabama with 557 yards on just 25 catches, with four touchdowns. He was also one of the best punt returns in the country; his 733 yards on punt for an average of 19.3 yards over his three seasons ranks sixth in Alabama history.
Whether or not Waddle is available, Saban has expressed optimism that Monday’s game will be played as scheduled.
Saban said there “were issues relating to COVID” that sparked discussions earlier in the week about moving the game. The CFP announced last week Jan. 18 as a potential makeup date for the game for national title
College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock, Alabama officials and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey all told ESPN on Tuesday that they had pledged to play on Monday. .
“Our school starts next week,” Saban said. “We would have had 35,000 students back here [to South Florida for the game]. We’ve played 12 games this year, so we’ve got a lot of guys who have ground throughout the season, a lot of guys who are a bit cut off. Another week of practice would probably have been a lot harder for these guys. “
He also cited the Jan. 18 deadline for subclasses to declare themselves for the NFL Draft.
“So all of the timing of it all would have been tough management,” Saban said. “But I would have put the safety of the players on either team as the most important factor in this decision.”
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