Alabama DL LaBryan Ray Returns To Practice

The redshirt junior has missed the last three games nursing an elbow sprain

The University of Alabama is off this weekend, but when it returns to the gridiron to face Kentucky, the Crimson Tide will likely have one of its best defensive linemen back. 

Redshirt junior LaBryan Ray has missed the last three contests between Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi State nursing an elbow sprain suffered in practice, but according to coach Nick Saban he is on the brink of returning to action.

"He’s starting to practice,” Saban said on Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference. “This is the type of thing that he needs to develop confidence in, but he’s making good progress.”

On the year, Ray has 11 total tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a quarterback hurry. Christian Barmore and Phidarian Mathis have replaced him in the starting lineup over the last few weeks. 

Ray also missed 10 games a season ago dealing with a lingering foot injury.

"He's a really good player," Saban said earlier in the year when asked what a healthy Ray does for his team. "We're a different team if he can't play. Cause he's athletic, he can run, he's a decent pass rusher. He's a guy that can do, he can play the run, he can play the point, but he's still athletic enough to play on the edge and give us some push, and he's a good inside rusher. So we need more guys like LaBryan Ray on our team. He's got great character, a competitive character. Really hard worker, sets a good example for other players. So when he is around his presence is certainly felt by everybody else and certainly appreciated by us as coaches."