Kadyn Proctor injury: What happened to Alabama's left tackle before Week 1 game?

The Alabama Crimson Tide are without one of their top players in left tackle Kadyn Proctor for their opening game of the 2024 season against Western Kentucky. The star O-lineman had been in uniform but was a sudden scratch.

According to Mike Rodak of 247 Sports and CBS Sports, Proctor was seen on the sideline in street clothes, with a sling for his left arm covered by his shirt.

Kadyn Proctor was part of the beginning stages of pregame warmups and participated as the left tackle with the starters before leaving with the injury. As of this writing, there has been no additional information that has come out but the injury was serious enough to sideline one of the top offensive linemen in the nation.

Elijah Pritchett replaced him in the starting lineup. He began the warmup session as the second-string right tackle ahead of the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Proctor was a five-star freshman during the 2023 season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, he announced that he was transferring to the Iowa Hawkeyes during the offseason before deciding against it and returning to Alabama in April.

What does the Kadyn Proctor injury mean for the Alabama Crimson Tide going forward?

The outlook for the team really depends on the specific injury and how long it will keep Kadyn Proctor out for. If we go under the assumption that he will return this season then it is not a major deal, but certainly is not something you want to see happen. However, if the injury that Proctor suffered could end his season, this is obviously going to be massive news.

Kadyn Proctor is expected to protect the edge as well as quarterback Jalen Milroe's blindside. One of Milroe's weaknesses has been the ability to sense the pocket collapsing and feeling pressure so losing Proctor for any specific amount of time is critical.

With the number of talented edge rushers that the Crimson Tide are going to be facing throughout the course of the regular season, that is going to be something that the Alabama Crimson Tide are going to be monitoring to hopefully get Proctor back on the field soon.