Is Deontae Lawson playing today vs Auburn? Alabama linebacker status explored 

Deontae Lawson is an integral part of the Alabama Crimson Tide defense. The linebacker hardly goes a game without recording a solo tackle, and his talents typically put fear into the hearts of opposing players.

Ahead of Alabama's last regular season game of the season, here's a closer look at Lawson's availability for the matchup against the Auburn Tigers.

Deontae Lawson's injury update

According to On3 Sports, Deontae Lawson will not be playing against the Auburn Tigers in Week 14. That's because the star linebacker is officially out of action for the rest of the 2024 college football season.

Lawson reportedly suffered a torn ACL injury in their loss to the Oklahoma Sooners last week. The loss means that the Crimson Tide won't be part of this year's expanded college football playoffs.

Lawson's presence will surely be missed in Saturday's game. He ranks second in team tackles and is one of coach Kalen DeBoer's captains on the gridiron.

What happened to Deontae Lawson?

According to reports, Lawson suffered a serious leg injury against the Sooners. He was having a decent game before he got hurt, as he'd already secured two tackles in the showdown.

DeBoer spoke about the injury in a press conference later (via On3.com):

"Any time you lose a great player like Deontae, it is going to affect you. His leadership, he is the player that makes a lot of the calls on the football field. Just seems like he is perpetually in control. We have trust and belief in the guys that come in. Those guys take a lot of reps and have featured in a lot this year."

Lawson is essentially DeBoer's eyes on the defensive side of the ball. He wears the heralded green dot on his helmet. The dot signifies that he is the only player on defense who has direct communication with defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.

The Crimson Tide fan base will hope that Lawson is ready for the start of the 2025 season. He's one of the team's key players and will be an integral part of the Kalen DeBoer dispensation.

In the meantime, Justin Jefferson (not to be confused with the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver) will be tasked with taking Lawson's place on the defense. Jefferson brings something to the table, and he'll be locked in and ready to go against the Tigers.