Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, suffered a season-ending injury today.
Waddle suffered what looked like a serious ankle injury while returning the opening kickoff against Tennessee. Alabama coach Nick Saban told CBS at halftime that Waddle is out for the season.
It’s devastating news for Waddle, who is both a big-play receiver who was averaging 22.3 yards per catch this season and an outstanding return man who was the SEC special teams player of the year last year.
The 5-foot-10, 182-pound Waddle was a Top 10 pick in some 2021 mock drafts. Now he’ll begin what every football fan hopes will be a successful journey to a full recovery.