The status of Alabama receiver and return specialist Jaylen Waddle remains “up in the air” for Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship against Ohio State, coach Nick Saban said Thursday.
Saban said Waddle has practiced this week but will probably be a game-day decision.
“I don’t have any crystal ball to know,” Saban said.
Waddle suffered a combination of a high ankle sprain and fracture 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).
Prior to his injury, Waddle was regarded as one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football.
The junior from Houston opened this season with at least 120 yards receiving in each of the first four games and led Alabama with 557 yards on just 25 catches, with four touchdowns. He has also been one of the nation’s top punt returners; his 733 yards on punt returns for an average of 19.3 yards over his three seasons ranks sixth in Alabama history.