College football’s most publicized ankle is on the mend.
Alabama football coach Nick Saban said Monday that sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continues to take on more and more during practice as the No. 1 Crimson Tide (13-0) prepare for No. 4 Oklahoma (12-1) in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29.
Tagovailoa suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Southeastern Conference championship game against Georgia on Dec. 1, when junior Jalen Hurts replaced him early in the fourth quarter and rallied the Crimson Tide from a 28-21 deficit to a 35-28 triumph.
“He’s doing well,” Saban said in a news conference. “I think he’s probably ahead of schedule. He’s been able to take a lot of reps and has been able to throw the ball from the pocket. He can run, but I don’t think he’s 100 percent changing direction yet.
“He’s already going 100 percent on the gravity treadmill. He’s made really good progress, and we’re encouraged by that.”