Alabama star linebacker Deontae Lawson is out for the remainder of the year with a significant lower leg injury, Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer confirmed Monday. Lawson is Alabama’s second-leading tackler and considered a top prospect at his position for the upcoming NFL draft.

Lawson suffered the injury against Oklahoma on Saturday. He was taken to the locker room and quickly ruled out of the game.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack had said his news conference Monday that Lawson wouldn’t play for the No. 13 Crimson Tide against Auburn this week. He declined to comment further, deferring to DeBoer.

Lawson is Alabama’s second-leading tackler with 76. He’s also one of the defense’s most productive players, as he has four deflected passes, an interception, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He also has a pair of sacks.

The junior from Mobile is draft-eligible and considered one of the top linebackers. It’s uncertain how this injury will impact his upcoming decision, however.

Among ESPN analysts, Lawson is Mel Kiper Jr.’s No. 5 linebacker and is ranked No. 3 by Jordan Reid and Field Yates.

Alabama is 8-3 on the season after losing to Oklahoma 24-3 in Norman.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, 65, said Monday that he will decide after the season whether to return for his 21st year at the helm.

“My decision will be made on what’s best for the program, not what’s best for me,” Whittingham said. “So, it’ll be completely determined on how I feel this program is best served going forward.”

Utah started the season as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12, but after winning their first four games, they’ve lost seven straight and will finish the season Friday at UCF.

During the summer, the school announced defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley would be Whittingham’s successor whenever he decides to retire.

“[I’ll] sit down and evaluate everything,” Whittingham said. “I can tell you right now that Coach Scalley will be involved in decisions going forward because it’s only right that he does that because he’s the coach in waiting and when that time comes we need to make sure that he’s had input on big decisions. So it’ll be a team effort in that respect going forward as far as hiring and recruiting and that type of thing.”

Whittingham is tied for the second-longest tenured coach in FBS, behind only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, having been hired to replace Urban Meyer at Utah at the end of the 2004 season.

Utah should also have news soon regarding the future of quarterback Cam Rising, who missed the 2023 season due to a major knee injury and was sidelined by injury again early this season. Whittingham said last month that Rising could seek a medical waiver to play in 2025.

“I have no inside scoop or anything right now as to what he’s thinking,” Whittingham said. “Try to give him some space and let him sort things out and decide which direction he wants to go.

“That’s on Cam’s timeline and obviously we’ve got to at some point make our own decisions on what’s going to happen if there is still indecisiveness, but I think that should be cleared up in the next week to 10 days.”

Georgia running back Trevor Etienne might be sidelined for a couple of more weeks with a rib injury, but the No. 10 Bulldogs’ thin backfield could be getting a little deeper before a potential CFP appearance.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart told reporters Monday that tailbacks Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson II are ramping up their reps in practice and could be close to returning.

Georgia plays rival Georgia Tech at home Friday night (7:30 pm. ET, ABC/ESPN+). The Bulldogs will face the winner of Saturday night’s game between No. 3 Texas and No. 15 Texas A&M in the SEC championship game on Dec. 7.

“Branson and Rod have both looked good in the last week in terms of picking up their pace, running, cutting,” Smart said. “We’re going to progress them today. They’re going to do more today than they have. I guess y’all saw them run Saturday. They did more yesterday. We’re day by day with those guys, but there’s a possibility so we’re excited about them getting back to work.”

Etienne, a Florida transfer, had emerged as Georgia’s top tailback with 477 yards with seven scores. He didn’t play in last week’s 59-21 victory over UMass and had only 13 carries combined in games against Ole Miss and Florida.

In Etienne’s absence, freshman Nate Frazier has carried the load. He ran for a career-high 136 yards with three touchdowns against the Minutemen.

Branson Robinson, the No. 1 running back prospect in the Class of 2022, according to ESPN Recruiting, missed the past four games with a sprained MCL. He was sidelined for all of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL.

Roderick Robinson was Georgia’s top returning rusher from 2023 but missed the first 11 games after suffering a turf toe injury in the preseason that required surgery.

Smart said defensive lineman Christen Miller is questionable to play against Georgia Tech after suffering a dislocated shoulder against UMass, while Smart is hoping that receivers Dillon Bell (ankle) and Anthony Evans (hamstring) will be able to return.