Alabama junior linebacker Rashaan Evans had the best game of his career against Clemson in last season’s battle for the national championship, sacking Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson twice.
Evans played on the outside last year and was moved inside this spring by new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder from Auburn, Ala., was listed earlier this week as the backup inside linebacker to senior Reuben Foster.
“Rashaan missed a little bit of time with a little bit of a pulled muscle, but he’s back practicing now,” coach Nick Saban said in a news conference after Wednesday’s practice. “He’s playing inside and rushes some outside. He was doing really well, but then a couple of days set him back.
“We think he’ll be 100 percent for the game, and we expect a contribution from him.”
The top-ranked Crimson Tide continued preparations for their season opener against No. 20 Southern California, working out for two hours at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility. Alabama will hold a shorter practice today before flying to Texas on Friday.