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Alabama freshman wide receiver Derek Meadows exited the No. 8 Crimson Tide's Week 7 game against No. 14 Missouri late in the first quarter after taking a brutal hit on a pass down the right side of the field. Meadows jumped into the air to try to catch a pass from quarterback Ty Simpson and absorbed a hard hit from Tigers defensive back Marvin Burks Jr. 

Meadows remained on the turf for a few minutes afterwards but eventually was able to get up and walk off of the field with the help of Alabama's athletic training staff and went to the locker room under his own power. 

Officials immediate threw a flag for targeting and Burks was ejected following a relatively quick review. That means Missouri will be without one of its top defensive backs for the remainder of a crucial game against an explosive Alabama offense. 

The targeting call also moved the ball into Missouri territory. Missouri's defense is already responsible for three penalties that have granted Alabama 35 free yards. 

Meadows, who has now appeared in four games as a true freshman, has yet to log a catch this season. He signed with Alabama in 2025 out of Las Vegas, Nevada, powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School. The 6-foot-5 and 212-pound Meadows ranked as the No. 61 prospect nationally and No. 10 wide receiver in his class.