Alabama Crimson Tide is loaded up with exotic wide receiver talent heading into the season. Not just because of the top two pass-catchers back from a year ago in Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. But Isaiah Horton has also transferred in from Miami. Inspiration though is brought by a special redshirt sophomore from the Saban era. His comeback story from injury is emotional and inspiring for his teammates and even towards his receivers coach.

That’s Jalen Hale. Came to Alabama during the tail end of the Saban era with big upside and silky smooth route-running. Then, in spring of 2024, everything came crashing down. A devastating knee injury. Not your average ACL tweak, but something WR coach JaMarcus Shephard called “one of the worst injuries” he’s ever seen. It sidelined Hale for the entirety of Kalen DeBoer’s debut season. The injury wrecked Hale’s rhythm, his reps, and almost his resolve. “This kid thought at one point that he may not play football again,” coach said per 247 Sports’ Mike Rodak. For weeks, Hale was stuck watching teammates from the inside of the facility, fighting back tears as he processed a brutal setback most never come back from.

Hopefully Hale will be back soon. Yet the way Shephard talks about it, it’s the kind of comeback that makes you rethink the clichés. This wasn’t just hard work and faith. This was desperation turned into belief, day by day. “It’s a story that I’ll tell for the rest of my coaching career about what he has had to endure to be here and available for this 2025 season,” Shephard said. The receiver room knows it. The staff knows it. “Our whole team is proud of him, not just me,” DeBoer said on Wednesday after the team’s first fall camp practice. “There are reps that he hadn’t taken… And so he’s still learning as we go and every rep, he’s gonna get more and more confident. But he’s certainly got a lot of tools, and I want to see his growth, and I’m excited about that this fall.”

The tools were always there. Jalen Hale posted five catches for 148 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman in 2023, flashing vertical ability and crisp cuts. But the injury set him back an entire year, and even when he returned to practice late last season, he didn’t appear in a game. Just running routes again in 2024 was the victory. Now, his next challenge is re-learning the speed of live reps, catching up on installs, and proving to a loaded room that he belongs.

Williams, Bernard, and Horton are entrenched as the top trio. All three project as SEC-caliber starters, potentially Sunday players. But behind them? It’s wide open. Hale is battling with Cole Adams, speedster Rico Scott, and freshman Lotzeir Brooks for reps in that second wave.

Kalen DeBoer acknowledged the uphill climb: missed time, missed reps, a crowded room. But no one’s counting Hale out. In fact, Germie Bernard made sure to remind everyone why his teammate’s comeback might turn into something even bigger. “Hale has been really, really explosive,” Bernard said Thursday. “But I already knew that, man. Hale has always been explosive. Just for him to come back from his injury and still, and be better than what he was, it’s really a blessing. You can see how God has been working with him.” It’s those kinds of words that make you believe Jalen Hale won’t just be a feel-good story. He could be a factor, maybe even a breakout if the chips fall right.

No more tears now, Jalen Hale is returning, slowly

At this point, the entire Alabama program seems to be pulling for Jalen Hale like he’s the heartbeat of the locker room. And who could blame them? After everything he’s endured, seeing Hale on the field again has become one of the feel-good stories of fall camp.

“Between he and then our medical staff, just doing an awesome job of pushing forward, our whole team is proud of him, not just me,” Kalen DeBoer said. “We’ve talked about that in the winter, during December, I remember addressing it as a team. Guys being excited about him finally doing some things with the team. And then the spring was the next step, then through the summer and him out there.” Progress isn’t just theoretical anymore. It’s on tape. Alabama dropped a highlight from Thursday’s second camp practice showing Hale hauling in a catch, looking every bit like the four-star talent he was before the injury.

Of course, a bigger test awaits next week when the pads come on. But so far? He’s ticking every box. Even with a bulky brace still hugging his knee, Hale’s explosiveness is shocking people. Fall practice has just begun. However, Hale has his sights on more than being a feel-good story.