The 2024 college football season will be interesting for a variety of reasons, one of which being a new-look Alabama Crimson Tide program without the legendary head coach Nick Saban. New head coach Kalen DeBoer inherits a talented team that is poised to be competitive in the upcoming season.
While there were numerous devastating losses at the hands of the 2024 NFL draft and the transfer portal, the Crimson Tide roster is still one of the strongest in the nation. One positional unit that Alabama fans should not be concerned about is the offensive line. Recently, Pro Football Focus ranked the Tide’s offensive line as the best OL in all of college football.
The players that make up the line for the Crimson Tide are experienced players who have a proven track record of protecting the quarterback and establishing opportunities for both the passing game and the ground game.
Recently, ESPN NFL draft experts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid ranked the top-five players at every position (subscription required) who should be considered preseason 2025 draft prospects.
At guard, two Alabama players were named. According to both Miller and Reid, Tyler Booker is the top-ranked guard in the nation. The Crimson Tide junior had a big role on the line in 2023 and even contributed in 12 games as a true freshman in 2022. He’s expected to enter the 2024 season as a player with a first-round grade and could hold onto it, or improve, with a strong showing throughout the season.
Miller also included Alabama redshirt junior Jaeden Roberts as a player outside of the top five to watch. While he is not named by either expert as a top-five guard, Miller believes he can perform well in 2024 and work his way into a respectable ranking on 2025 draft big boards.
“While we were all scouting Booker this year, his linemate is another player to keep an eye on,” writes Miller. “With eight starts last season, Roberts emerged as a solid starter at right guard thanks to his power and easy movement at 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds. And as evidenced by just three sacks allowed in 2023, he also showed potential as a pass-protector.”
Finally, new Alabama center Parker Brailsford was named by Miller as the top center in the nation heading into the upcoming season, but Reid had Brailsford ranked No. 4 on the list.
Brailsford joins the Crimson Tide via the transfer portal after beginning his collegiate career with the Washington Huskies, playing under DeBoer before he made the move to Tuscaloosa.
In his ranking, Miller mentioned that Brailsford was the most difficult player to rank among the list of top-tier centers that are eligible for the 2025 draft.
“A transfer from Washington, Brailsford anchored the best offensive line in the nation last season, as the Huskies won the Joe Moore Award for outstanding line play. Heading to Alabama to follow head coach Kalen DeBoer will allow us to see if the undersized senior (6-foot-2, 275 pounds) can handle SEC defensive linemen.”
The offense will be the key to success for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide in 2024, and it all relies on the strength of the offensive line. With such key players such as the ones mentioned above, as well as non-draft-eligible players like sophomore Kadyn Proctor, it’s reasonable to believe that the offensive line will be Alabama’s most valuable asset in the upcoming season.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.
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