TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama could be without its top-two running backs Saturday.

It was already without freshman Trey Sanders, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury, and the new No. 3 back, Jerome Ford, dealt with an ankle injury earlier in the preseason camp.

So, we could potentially see true freshman Keilan Robinson early in the season opener against Duke. The 5-foot-9, 184-pound tailback is a different player than the rest of Alabama’s backs.

“Keilan has got juice,” Nick Saban said. “He’s quick, he’s fast, very explosive on the perimeter. So, he kind of gives us a kind of different type guy from the other guys that we have, which I think is important at that position. So, I hope we get him a chance to have some opportunities in this game.”

Robinson was the nation’s No. 15-ranked running back and No. 2 player out of Washington D.C. during the 2019 recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite. He arrived on campus in late May and could be featured early in his first game in a crimson uniform this weekend.

That’s because juniors Najee Harris and Brian Robinson are facing a potential suspension in the first half of Saturday’s neutral-site game between Alabama and the Duke Blue Devils after they missed a team function. Saban didn’t comment on the situation, which he labeled as an “internal family decision that I don't feel is necessary to share with anybody outside our organization.”

If Harris and Brian Robinson start the game on the sideline, the Crimson Tide could look to the true freshman or Ford, if he’s healthy. But the possible suspensions won’t have an effect on that.

“We’re not commenting on any of this stuff,” Saban said. “This is misinformation. It’s an internal family affair. Jerome Ford will play in the game if he’s able to play in the game, which he’s been practicing, so we assume that he can. It doesn’t matter what happens to anybody else.”

DEFENSIVE SIGNAL-CALLER

The big news Wednesday was junior linebacker Dylan Moses suffered a severe knee injury at Tuesday’s practice that will require surgery and sideline the preseason All-American indefinitely.

Alabama freshman running back Keilan Robinson

It is a huge loss for the Crimson Tide defense, which will now look to two true freshmen to start at the Mike and Will linebacker positions in Shane Lee and Christian Harris, respectively. But which one of the newcomers will be the defensive signal-caller in Moses’ absence this fall?

“Whoever’s playing Mike linebacker,” Saban said. “I mean, we’re going to have two freshmen playing as it is right now, so that’s whoever’s playing Mike linebacker. We’ve got to work with them on it. They’ve been calling the defenses, they’ve been getting the signals with the twos. Now, they’re going to have to move up and be able to get the communication with the ones.”

During Wednesday’s one media viewing period of practice, Lee and Harris were the first two inside linebackers through drills and will be groomed to lead the defense against the Blue Devils in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a tall task, but Saban has been pleased with the two freshmen.

“Christian Harris has had an outstanding fall camp and has been running with the starting unit,” Saban said. “And Shane Lee is the backup Mike, and he’s the guy that will have an opportunity to play now.

“We have several other linebackers that are competing at the position, and we’re pleased with what those guys can do. It’s going to be something that our coaches, myself included, all try to support these guys and help put them in the best position so that they can have success.”

REMEMBERING WALT GARY

A tradition will be broken Thursday evening when Saban travels from the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility to Baumhower’s Victory Grille for his weekly radio show. That’s because the head coach won’t be receiving his score prediction from Walt Gary, the Crimson Tide’s 36-year-old superfan.

Gary passed away in July. While everyone is well-aware the Alabama football program meant a lot to Gary, it is also evident that Gary meant a lot to those within the walls of the football building.

“I just think he’s part of the whole tradition of the program, the tradition of the university,” Saban said. “When you have fans, supporters, young people like Walt, who is so enthusiastic, so positive about -- I said this before, there’s so many days that I walk down the steps on Thursday to go to that radio show, and I’ve got about 10,000 things on my mind and about 9,000 of them are things that you’re worried about. And when I see him, those things kind of go away.

“Because it kind of puts it in perspective that his energy, his enthusiasm, how positive he always was kind of makes you feel like this is not so bad. I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss him a lot. I know our players are going to miss him because they all used to talk to him on the way out on Thursdays, too. Probably if we had a Fan of the Year award, he’d certainly he get it.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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