LSU Coach Brian Kelly provided injury news on two key defensive starters on Tuesday. Kelly said cornerback Zy Alexander and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo will “miss some time.” It’s unclear if they will play against Alabama.
Also, cornerbacks Duce Chestnut and Denver Harris remain inactive, so LSU is very thin at corner.
If Alexander, Chestnut, and Harris are unavailable on November 4th that leaves LSU with sophomores Sage Ryan and Laterrance Welch and freshmen Jeremiah Hughes and Javian Toviano as the only available corners. But Kelly is optimistic they can get the job done.
“It’s not like we are breaking the glass here and rolling them out for the first time, they’ve been observant, they’ve been part of it, they’ve been traveling, they know what it’s like, we feel like they are ready to play, and it’s always about opportunity and I think these guys given the opportunity now are prepared and ready to play,” said Kelly.
Between Ryan, Welch, Hughes and Toviano, they have just one pass defensed between them.
Meanwhile, Wingo has been one of LSU’s best defensive lineman, with 22 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
He didn’t play against Army and is still not available to practice. Kelly says Wingo has a lower-body injury that needs time to heal.
“He’s been playing with a nagging injury, and we just need to get him right, we’ll see where it takes him, but he’s been playing injured here for the last two to three weeks, getting him in a position where he physically can play at the level he needs to is the most important thing,” said Kelly.
Expect the next injury report to come Monday when Kelly opens Bama week on Monday with his lunchtime presser.
