Position Breakdown: Alabama’s OL ahead of spring practice
We are now less than a week away from Nick Saban and the Alabama football team taking the practice field to begin spring ball.
As is the case each offseason, there are many questions that need to be answered before the Tide hit the field to start the 2023 season.
As spring practice creeps closer, we are going to break down each position group on both sides of the ball. We have already looked at the quarterbacks, running backs, defensive line, tight ends, outside linebackers, inside linebackers, and wide receivers, and defensive backs.
Today we will wrap up our position breakdowns with the offensive line.
Let’s roll!
Notable departures
AP Photo/Vasha Hunt
Tyler Steen | Emil Ekiyor Jr.
Alabama will be replacing the veteran leadership of Tyler Steen and Emil Ekiyor Jr. along this offensive line this spring. Both Steen and Ekiyor are NFL caliber players so replacing them will not be easy for the Tide, but with the emphasis on offensive line recruiting over the past couple of recruiting cycles, Alabama will have plenty of options to explore.
Notable returning players
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
JC Latham | Seth McLaughlin
Darrian Dalcourt | Tyler Booker
Tide fans should be happy with the fact that Alabama returns some really good talent along the offensive line led by junior tackle JC Latham. The Tide also returns its starting center in Seth McLaughlin and the super-sophomore Tyler Booker who is a roadgrader from his guard position. Veteran Darrian Dalcourt is also set to return to compete for a spot.
New faces
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Kadyn Proctor | Olaus Alinen
Wilkin Formby | Miles McVay
Roq Montgomery
Alabama hauled in an impressive offensive line class in 2023 and maybe the most noticeable trait of the signees is the size they all possess. Each player is well over 300 pounds and will bring a ton of physicality to the offensive line this spring. Five-star Kadyn Proctor is the most likely of the group to earn early significant playing time. Proctor is a massive freshman, standing at 6’7″ and 354 pounds.
What to watch for
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Kadyn Proctor
As I just mentioned, Proctor has a chance to make an early impact for the Tide and while his future is likely at tackle, we could see him start at one of the guard spots much like some former five-stars have done, such as Evan Neal and JC Latham.
Projected depth chart
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
LT: JC Latham
LG: Terrence Ferguson or Kadyn Proctor
C: Seth McLaughlin or Darrian Dalcourt
RG: Tyler Booker
RT: Elijah Pritchett
There has been no official word that JC Latham will be making the switch from right tackle to left this season, but just following Saban’s history, this is a pretty solid educated guess. Nonetheless, I believe the two tackles this spring will be Latham and Elijah Pritchett, a redshirt freshman with a very bright future. This group has a chance to restore the physical mantra that the Alabama offensive line once held and I believe they will eventually be one of the strengths of this Alabama team.
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