College Football Notes: No. 1 Alabama grieving after fatal shooting of assistant’s son

Alabama’s football team had as much to mourn as to celebrate after a huge opening victory.

On the field, linebackers Terrell Lewis and Christian Miller sustained season-ending injuries in the top-ranked Crimson Tide’s 24-7 win over No. 3 Florida State. About 24 hours after the game, a son of wide receivers coach Mike Locksley was shot and killed in Maryland.

That left players and coaches with much more on their mind than football on Monday.

“I just feel real bad, just like everyone else,” said Tide receiver Calvin Ridley, who texted his support to Locksley. “I just want him to know I love him and I really don’t know anything else about it.”

Added coach Nick Saban: “We’ll do everything that we can to support Mike and his family in this time of tragedy.”

Howard County Police said 25-year-old Meiko Locksley was shot in Columbia, Maryland just after 10 p.m. Sunday. Locksley died at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Police didn’t release further details.

Mike Locksley is also Alabama’s co-offensive coordinator. He spent last season as an offensive analyst and was Maryland’s interim head coach for the final six games in 2015. Players were still absorbing the news Monday afternoon.

“I just heard. That’s horrible,” offensive tackle Jonah Williams said. “I don’t have any words. He’s in our thoughts and prayers. We’re going to do everything we can for him.”

On the field, Alabama is already having to do a reboot at linebacker. Miller (biceps) and Lewis (elbow) both play the same outside linebacker spot, and now both need season-ending surgery.

Lewis had five tackles and Miller three against the Seminoles. Both had a tackle for loss.

“But we just rebuild,” linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton said. “Next guy’s up. All the guys who get recruited here are top guys, so it’s time for them to grow up.”

Two other starting linebackers also missed the second half with injuries. Rashaan Evans had a groin injury and Anfernee Jennings sprained an ankle. Saban said their injuries are significant but not long-term issues. He said both are questionable going into Saturday’s Fresno State game.

Alabama does have a luxury few other programs share. Three of the reserve linebackers are underclassmen who were former five-star recruits: Mack Wilson, Ben Davis and freshman Dylan Moses. Other candidates for increased playing time could include veterans like Jamey Mosley, brother of Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley, and Keith Holcombe.

Hamilton, himself coming off a knee injury that ended his junior season, said there are a number of players capable of stepping up. He also had a message for Lewis and Miller, both seemingly poised for bigger roles this season.

“I told them I know how it is when you’re down,” Hamilton said. “You’re going to fall by the wayside. People may forget about you or things like this. But let that fuel you, and you can’t waste a day with the rehab process.”

UGA’s Eason to miss Notre Dame game

Quarterback Jacob Eason will not play in No. 15 Georgia’s game at Notre Dame after spraining his left knee in last week’s win over Appalachian State.

Coach Kirby Smart said that Eason’s status is “week to week.” Smart says the injury will not require surgery.

Freshman Jake Fromm is expected to start against Notre Dame on Saturday night after replacing Eason in the 31-10 win over Appalachian State.

Eason, a sophomore who started the final 12 games last season, was hurt midway through the opening quarter of the season-opening win. Smart says he is “just disappointed for Jacob because of how hard he worked and how much better he had gotten.”

Longhorns’ Buechele won’t practice

Texas starting quarterback Shane Buechele bruised his throwing shoulder in a season-opening loss to Maryland and will be held out of practice part of this week.

Buechele passed for 375 yards and finished the game in the 51-41 loss. Coach Tom Herman says Buechele doesn’t know when he got hurt but was very sore after the game.

Herman says freshman Sam Ehlinger will get all the snaps with the first-team offense Tuesday. Emergency quarterback Jerrod Heard, a wide receiver, will also take snaps.

Heard was a starting quarterback for the Longhorns in 2015 when Texas went 5-7. He moved to wide receiver last season.

Herman says Buechele will be evaluated this week to see if he can return for Saturday’s game against San Jose State (1-1).

UVA corner out for the season

Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall says starting cornerback Tim Harris will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a wrist injury in the Cavaliers’ season opener.

It’s the second consecutive season the senior will miss most of the season. He suffered a shoulder injury in the second game last season that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Mendenhall says he and the coaching staff are working with Harris to discuss his future, and that applying for a medical hardship to allow him a sixth season of eligibility is among the options they are discussing.

Mendenhall says he can’t speak for the NCAA, which would have to grant the extra year, but he thinks the precedent has been set by previous decisions and that Harris would qualify if he chooses to seek an extra year.