ATLANTA -- The status of Alabama sophomore running back Jase McClellan this is in doubt for this weekend's SEC Championship Game between the No. 8 Crimson Tide and No. 1 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The star running back of the Crimson Tide has missed portions of practice this week after tweaking a foot injury last weekend against Auburn.
"He's not been able to do a lot," said coach Nick Saban on Thursday. "We'll see how he does today ... where he is. I'd say that he's probably questionable for the game at this point, but, I think it's probably too early to tell."
If McClellan can't go, expect senior Roydell Williams and sophomore Jam Miller to shoulder the load. Williams is second on the team in rushing with 497 yards and four touchdowns. His best game came in Week 3 vs. South Florida when he had 17 carries for 129 yards and one touchdown in the 17-3 win. Miller's workload has increased over the last month of the season, with 112 of his 167 yards rushing coming in the month of November.
McClellan's absence could put even more pressure on quarterback Jalen Milroe as well. The first-year full-time starter has 439 yards rushing and a team-high 12 rushing touchdowns on the season. His ability to bring safeties into the box in order to slow down the rushing attack has been a big reason why Alabama's receivers have been able to take the top off of opposing defenses. They rank No. 2 in the SEC in passing plays of at least 30 yards with 28, and that is a big reason why this offense has evolved into one of the most dangerous units in the country.
Kickoff for the SEC Championship Game is set for 4 p.m. on CBS.
