Alabama cornerback Eddie Jackson tore an ACL during a spring scrimmage on Saturday.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said Jackson injured the knee during a “noncontact” situation in which he leaped for the football and “came down funny,” according to ESPN.
“Eddie was having a great spring and (was) probably our best corner, most consistent,” Saban said.
Jackson played seven games, starting four, during his freshman season in 2013. He had 19 tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries.
Jackson was working with the first-team defense for most of spring practice. He is expected to need five months to recover, which would prevent him from taking part in preseason camp.
Another option for Jackson is to take a medical redshirt. Alabama already lacks depth at cornerback, so losing Jackson for the season would be a big blow.
“We’ve just got to keep working and developing depth,” Saban said. “(I) feel like have a few more guys that have a good understanding of what we’re doing. We just seem to not be making as many mental errors as we have in the past at this time.”