Alabama WR Noah Rogers and Iowa State S Braden Awls both suffer significant spring practice injuries

Two transfers expected to play key roles for their new teams in 2026 suffered significant injuries recently.

Alabama wide receiver Noah Rogers is expected to miss at least part of the season, while new Iowa State safety Braden Awls is now out for the entire season after he suffered a torn ACL.

Rogers, a transfer from NC State, was injured during Alabama’s A-Day scrimmage on Saturday. Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said in a radio interview with 100.9 FM on Monday that while he wasn’t going to give a timeline on Rogers’ left leg injury that it would “lead into the season a little bit.”

Rogers was expected to play a key role for an Alabama receiving group that needs to replace a lot of production. He had 33 catches for 441 yards and two scores a season ago with the Wolfpack. Germie Bernard, last year’s leading receiver, is off to the NFL, while Isaiah Horton, the team’s third-leading receiver, transferred to Texas A&M.

Alabama is hoping for a bounceback season from wide receiver Ryan Williams, who was plagued by drops in 2025 as he had just 49 catches for 689 yards and four touchdowns.

New Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers announced Monday that Awls had suffered his knee injury in what the coach said was “kind of a routine hit-blocking situation.”

Awls was a first-team all-MAC selection in 2025 as he formed one of the best safety combinations in the country with potential 2026 NFL Draft first-round pick Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Awls was fourth on the team with 52 tackles and had a team-high five interceptions to go along with four passes defensed a season ago. He appeared in 39 games across three seasons with the Rockets and had 131 total tackles and nine interceptions.