With Robert Foster Out, Alabama Getting Thin at Playmaker Positions

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s already thin wide receiver corps got even thinner over the weekend, as sophomore Robert Foster is out with a shoulder injury that will require surgery.

"Unless he has a miraculous recovery he's going to be out a while, a good while," head coach Nick Saban said. 

Foster suffered the injury late in the second quarter of Alabama’s 43-37 home loss to Ole Miss. Down 17-3 the Crimson Tide took a shot in the end zone only to have the pass broken up by cornerback Kendarius Webster, with the injury occurring when the wide receiver landed awkwardly.

Saban didn't say how long Foster would be out during his regular Monday press conference, and added that long-snapper Cole Mazza is out due to "medical reasons." AL.com reported on Sunday that a source indicated Foster was out for the season with a rotator cuff injury. 

Although Alabama is only three games into the 2015 season, it’s running very low on experienced players at the playmaker positions, especially wide receiver.

Coming off a torn ACL suffered in the spring, sophomore Cam Sims is playing but has yet to make a reception. Junior Raheem Falkins has yet to play after having offseason surgery to repair a leg fracture. Otherwise, the Crimson Tide has just six scholarship wide receivers available. 

"Calvin Ridley played a lot in the game, took his place, and has done a really nice job," Saban said. "We're going to give lots of opportunities to lots of guys. It's going to be some young guys who are going to get the opportunities.

"Richard Mullaney is certainly playing very well. We have to get ArDarius Stewart playing with more consistency. He has the capability to make big plays, and has made big plays, but we certainly need some of our young players to show more progress."

Meanwhile, at running back, Alabama has essentially gone three deep with junior Derrick Henry, senior Kenyan Drake and freshman Damien Harris, but he hopes to get some help soon with the return of Bo Scarbrough. 

The freshman running back appears to have fully recovered from a spring knee injury, but he has to sit out more game due to an NCAA eligibility suspension. The first time he’ll be eligible to suit up is Oct. 3 at Georgia.

Foster had started all three games at the X wide receiver position, with Ridley, a true freshman, his backup. He made two receptions for 17 yards against the Rebels, giving him 10 catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

Z	ArDarius Stewart
	Cam Sims
	Daylon Charlot
	Derek Kief
X	(Robert Foster)
	Calivin Ridley
	Deionte Thompson
H	Richard Mullaney
	Chris Black

Although 247Sports rated him a 5-star recruit out of Pennsylvania in 2013, Foster’s collegiate career got off to a slow start when he redshirted and then had just six catches for 44 yards with one solo tackle on special teams in nine games last season. 

After a strong spring, he moved into the starting role and had almost three times as many receiving yards during Alabama’s A-Day Game, 125 on six receptions, than his career at that point.

“Robert Foster has made a tremendous amount of improvement,” Saban said at the end of training camp. “He’s a very talented guy who just has to be a little more consistent.” 

After Foster was knocked out of the game Ridley had five of his six receptions for 36 yards, including a 23-yard completion off a crossing route to open the second half.

Regardless of the injury, Mullaney was senior Jake Coker’s primary target, with the quarterback throwing at least 14 passes in his direction and completing six for 50 yards and two touchdowns, including the nine-yard touchdown in which he hurdled Webster en route to the end zone.

“I really wasn’t thinking, just out there playing football. I just wanted to get in the end zone,” said Mullaney, who finished the game with seven receptions for 61 yards.

With sophomore Cooper Bateman starting, Alabama’s quarterbacks completed passes to just six players, four of which were wide receivers.

They also had three passes intercepted, with Alabama making five turnovers (leading to 24 Ole Miss points).

“The one that Cooper threw was probably not good judgment,” Saban said after the game. “He got kind of jammed in the seam, and he overthrew it. On a couple of Jake’s, I think that they were playing zone, and I don’t think there was any miscommunication on his. We have a lot of things that we need to do better.”

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.