Alabama suspends trio of players

MIAMI— The Alabama Crimson Tide roster took a major hit before it even begins game prep in Miami for Saturday’s Orange Bowl.

Alabama coach Nick Saban announced Monday night that redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Deonte Brown, redshirt junior offensive lineman Elliott Baker and sophomore defensive lineman Kedrick James are suspended for the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff semifinal against the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners for violating team rules. None of the players made the trip to South Florida.

Brown is the biggest loss from the group, having played in 12 games and started five of the last six at left guard.

With the early signing period that finished up on Friday overlapping with early bowl preparation, Saban acknowledged that the schedule can get hectic at times as he and his coaching staff balance multiple facets of their jobs simultaneously.

“There’s no question it’s a little fragmented when trying to do all these things at once,” Saban said.

“I think any coach will probably tell you that. You’re practising during signing day when people are signing. You’re preparing for a game when it’s time to wind up recruiting. You’re trying to manage your team as well as everything that’s going on in recruiting. It’s a challenge.”

The Crimson Tide signed 23 players during the three-day early signing period and flipped St. Thomas Aquinas safety Jordan Battle from Ohio State.