Alabama Tight End Josh Ford Out for the Season After Injury in Win at LSU, Kalen DeBoer Says

Josh Ford already played through a broken arm this season. This time, the injury won. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer announced Monday, Nov. 9, that the junior tight end will miss the rest of the season after getting hurt in the fourth quarter of the Crimson Tide's 31-13 win at LSU on Nov. 7.

Alabama did not disclose the injury. The timing is rough either way: the Tide are 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, sit at No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 5 in the CFP rankings, and are heading into the stretch that decides whether they host a playoff game or travel for one.

More than a stat line

Ford's numbers will not jump off a box score. According to the Associated Press, he finished with five catches for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama's coaches value him for what happens before the ball is thrown. At 6-foot-6 and 266 pounds, per his Alabama bio, Ford was a key piece of the blocking that powers the Tide's run game.

DeBoer made clear the loss goes beyond the field. "He's a uniter of our football team, a leader," DeBoer said, per the AP. DeBoer added that Ford will stay involved with the team while he recovers.

The broken arm comeback

Ford's toughness was already part of Alabama's season story. He broke his arm in the game against Mississippi State, had surgery, and was back on the field the following week against Georgia. His Alabama bio notes the coaching staff named him the offense's power player of the week for his performance at Mississippi State.

That is the kind of player whose absence shows up in the details: a short-yardage run that does not get the extra yard, an edge rusher who gets a cleaner path to the quarterback, a red zone formation that loses a dependable option.

Who fills the gap

"We're going to have to find ways to make up the gap that he leaves," DeBoer said, per the AP.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb laid out the early plan. He said Danny Lewis Jr. is the next man up for the in-line blocking role Ford handled. Jay Lindsey is expected to see a bigger share of snaps, and starter Kaleb Edwards could take on more work as well.

Expect the tight end group to be a committee rather than a one-for-one swap. Ford did a specific job, and Alabama will likely spread it across several bodies.

From Stillwater to Tuscaloosa

Ford arrived at Alabama this year after two seasons at Oklahoma State. He is a Stillwater native who played his high school football in the Cowboys' hometown before entering the transfer portal and landing with the Tide, where he became one of the most trusted pieces of a deep tight end room.

What is next for Alabama

The Tide head to Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 14. The Commodores are 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the SEC. It is the first game of a closing stretch in which every result matters for Alabama's seeding in the CFP.

Quarterback Keelon Russell has been the headline in Tuscaloosa, and his three touchdowns at LSU were a big reason Alabama scored 21 straight points in that game, as Undrafted wrote in its recap. Russell is also on the Heisman radar in the latest betting odds. But Alabama's offense was built with Ford doing the dirty work around Russell. Now the Tide have to find out how much of that can be replaced over the final three games of the regular season.

Sources: Associated Press, Alabama Athletics.

Photo: Alabama Athletics (file photo, 2026 team headshot).