Alabama will be without preseason All-SEC defensive end LaBryan Ray for a significant period of time.

Ray underwent surgery Tuesday on his injured ankle/foot. Ray will be out indefinitely, according to sources, but there is a chance the junior could return later in the season and maybe even in time for the Crimson Tide’s game against LSU in early November.

The former five-star recruit re-injured that ankle/foot he had surgery on during the summer during the Tide’s win over South Carolina on Saturday.

With Ray out, Alabama will likely have to rely on another freshman to start in the front seven. Freshman Justin Eboigbe is listed as Ray’s backup on the Tide depth chart and stepped in once Ray left the South Carolina game.

Ray posted seven tackles and a sack in Alabama’s first two games and then had two early tackles against South Carolina before exiting.

Matt Zenitz is an Alabama and Auburn reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.