In a critical showdown against the No. 14 Missouri, Alabama’s freshman wide receiver Derek Meadows exited the field after a significant hit during the first quarter. Attempting to catch a pass thrown by Ty Simpson, Meadows leaped but was struck hard by Marvin Burks Jr.. Despite lying on the ground for several moments, he managed to rise with assistance from the Alabama training staff and departed the field under his own power.

Officials swiftly imposed a targeting penalty, resulting in Burks’ ejection after a brief review, leaving Missouri without one of its key defensive backs against Alabama’s potent offense. The targeting call also advanced Alabama into Missouri’s territory, compounding the impact of a defensive line already struggling with several penalties that had granted Alabama 35 unearned yards.

Alabama’s Derek Meadows gave a 👍🏼 to the bama fans after leaving the game after getting injured on a Mizzou targeting play. pic.twitter.com/8GGGShpZxu— Taylor Kauffman (@_TaylorKauffman) October 11, 2025

So far in the season, Meadows has shown great potential in four games, although he has yet to secure a catch. He joined Alabama in 2025 after a successful tenure at the renowned Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was rated as the No. 61 prospect nationally and the No. 10 wide receiver in his recruiting class.