Is Champ Anthony playing today/tonight? Auburn Tigers' cornerback's availability for Week 5 explored

Auburn Tigers' cornerback Champ Anthony is questionable for the game against Oklahoma set for 2:30 p.m. CT this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The No. 21 Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1 SEC) taking on Auburn (2-2, 0-1) can be seen on ABC.

Anthony suffered a serious leg injury that required surgery during last Saturday's game against Arkansas. ESPN chose not to show a replay due to the graphic nature of the injury.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze praised Anthony after the game, saying he was playing at a very high level before the injury.

Champ Anthony's injury update

There's still no word on when Champ Anthony will return to the Auburn Tigers. However, Freeze shared some positive news on Monday.

“His surgery went well. He’s in good spirits,” Freeze told reporters during his press conference [H/t Opelika-Auburn News].

What happened to Champ Anthony?

Anthony, Auburn’s top defensive player, had a good start against Arkansas, but his game was cut short due to an injury. Anthony had to leave the field on a stretcher with an air cast on his left leg after a solid tackle on Arkansas’ Andrew Armstrong late in the first quarter. Reports suggest the injury happened “away from the ball.”

Before the injury, he had already made three strong pass defenses, with the game still scoreless. Just under two minutes left in the quarter, Anthony suddenly went down while in coverage, and the cart was quickly called to take him off the field.

When will Champ Anthony return?

Even though Auburn lost 24-14 to Arkansas in Week 4, the team didn’t suffer many setbacks—except for what seemed like a serious leg injury to defensive back Champ Anthony. Auburn’s Thursday availability report listed Anthony as probable, but USA Today reported that his left leg is in a cast, ruling him out for the rest of the game.

Anthony has successfully had surgery after getting hurt during the Tigers' game against Arkansas. While the full extent of his injury remains unclear, so does the timeline for his return.