Sources: Jase McClellan Full Participant at Practice Ahead of Rose Bowl
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Alabama starting running back Jase McClellan has returned to practice as a full participant ahead of the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 1 Michigan, sources tell BamaCentral.
McClellan practiced without a black injury designation on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles. He missed the SEC title game against then-No. 1 Georgia on Dec. 2 with a foot injury. He had been absent from practice for a while, but is now back healthy.
McClellan’s likely return will be a huge boost for the Crimson Tide (12-1, 8-0 SEC). He is Alabama’s leading rusher with 803 yards on the season. He also has six touchdowns.
Head coach Nick Saban seemed optimistic about McClellan’s status during the Crimson Tide’s team appearance at Disneyland on Wednesday.
“Jase is doing great,” Saban said. “Looks good. We gave him a lot of time off to heal his foot and it looks like it paid off.”
The Wolverines (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) boast the No. 5 rushing defense in all of college football, allowing just over 87 yards on the ground per game. Michigan is allowing just 2.93 yards per carry against its opponents this season.
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The Maxwell Football Club announced Wednesday that Alabama safety Caleb Downs has earned the 2023 Shaun Alexander Award.
The Shaun Alexander Award is given to the top freshman in college football.
Downs led the Crimson Tide and finished fourth in the SEC in tackles in 2023 with 95. He started all 13 games for the Alabama defense this season adding two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two interceptions.
The 5-star recruit out of Hoschton, Ga., earned SEC Freshman of the Week twice this year, against Middle Tennessee State in Week 1 and against Mississippi State in Week 4.
Downs made numerous plays defensively throughout the season that were far and above a freshman’s pay grade. Perhaps his most impactful moment was his second interception of the year against Texas A&M that gave the offense the ball right back after losing possession.
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