Alabama offensive line – Syndication Server

Kalen DeBoer discusses the improvement of the Alabama offensive line this spring

Will Alabama’s offensive line be better in 2024?

One of the biggest question marks for Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team entering the 2024 season is the offensive line. This spring the Crimson Tide coaches were tasked with replacing three starters along the line with JC Latham heading to the NFL and Seth McLaughlin and Kadyn Proctor testing the transfer portal.

On Monday night Coach DeBoer addressed the big guys upfront during his segment on “Hey Coach” and detailed the importance that the offensive line plays for the team.

“I think when your offensive line is the makeup of the right people – and I’m talking about character and things like that; work ethic, team-first guys, humility, all those characteristics along with talent – man, you’re setting yourself and your team up for a great opportunity,” DeBoer said.

“And the reason is every single day, if you can protect your quarterback and you can function well in the run game, you’re giving yourself a chance to read the plays from a quarterback perspective and let those wide receivers work, which means also that the defensive guys are getting their work in, too.

“If you’re on an offensive line and it’s a sack or a tackle for loss each and every play in practice, the rest of the team really isn’t getting that work in that they need to get better. And so it does all start up front. I think that especially that group, when you talk about a group that doesn’t get a lot of notoriety.

“They can certainly be the team-first guys that everyone else looks to and takes a lot of pride in and can learn from each and every day.”

Coach DeBoer also spoke to the improvements that his offensive line made during spring ball.

“That group did a great job from Practice 1 to Practice 15,” DeBoer said. “I really haven’t thought through which group had the most improvement, but if I had to start somewhere, I’d go to them because of just how they seem to develop their overall game. You guys didn’t see it but in Scrimmage 1, they ran the ball well but they didn’t probably protect as well.

“And you saw what we did in the final scrimmage, and there was some really solid pass protection, which allowed the quarterbacks to be able to work down the field, throw balls not just short and quick but also with some play action, got the run game going. So I thought they did a real nice job overall.

“Some moving parts in there, some guys played a couple of different spots and we gained some depth and flexibility with some of the positions they played.”

Since spring practice completed a couple of weeks ago, the Crimson Tide have landed Proctor back from the portal and that should help solidify the offensive line even more heading into the inarguarl season of the Kalen DeBoer era of Alabama football.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for around-the-clock coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Nick Sheridan praises the strength of offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts

Jaeden Roberts has quickly impressed new Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan

The Incredible Hulk, Samson, and Superman are just a few of the names synonymous with strength and power. According to new Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, redshirt junior offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts belongs in that group.

On Tuesday afternoon, once the Crimson Tide wrapped up its seventh practice of the spring, Coach Sheridan would field questions from local reporters. When asked about Roberts, Sheidan’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“What a great kid, talk about a worker,” Sheridan told reporters. “Strong, extremely strong. I think he’s building on the foundation he has, with the experiences he has had, but a great kid. A joy to coach and tough and hard-working and strong. Did I mention strong? J-Rob is strong and an awesome kid. We’re glad he’s on our side.”

Standing at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Roberts has the ideal size to combine with his incredible strength making him a desirable option on the interior of the Alabama offensive line.

Roberts started nine games for the Tide in 2023 and was arguably one of the biggest surprises on offense last season.

It’s clear that Roberts has quickly earned the respect of the new coaching staff and should play an impactful role for the Crimson Tide in 2024.

Somethings gotta give: Texas A&M’s D-line vs. Alabama’s O-line

Texas A&M’s surging D-line will need to handle Alabama’s susceptible O-line in order for in order to establish early dominance in the trenches.

When it comes down to strengths and weaknesses, Texas A&M’s pivotal Week 6 clash with the visiting Alabama Crimson Tide will be determined in the trenches, as the Aggies ascending defensive line, currently ranked second in sacks (20) and first in sack rate percentage in the country.

Since the start of SEC play, rumors of a potential return of the vaunted “Wrecking Crew” have made its way into the mainstream, as Texas A&M’s once anemic pass rush has found new life under second-year defensive coordinator D.J Durkin, whose 5th-ranked defense utterly demolished both Auburn and Arkansas to the tune of 14 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. In comparison, five players have two or more sacks, led by Shemar Turner’s 3.5 sacks in five games.

Now, looking at Alabama’s talented but underwhelming offensive line, freshman left tackle Kayden Proctor is still adjusting to the game’s speed. At the same time, center Seth McLaughlin is the only senior member in the trenches. So far this season, quarterback Jalen Milroe’s duel-threat ability is the only reason the Tides’ passing game hasn’t fallen off a cliff, as Alabama’s O-line ranks 122nd in sacks allowed (20), allowing a sack 15.6% of the time, the second worst rate in the country.

With all the recruiting success in the defensive trenches, former 2022 five-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen has stood out the most in his second season, leading all defensive tackles with three sacks or five, according to PFF. While stats are, well, stats, the combination of speed to power and enhanced technique yielded his production through the gaps, providing nearly every Aggie lineman and blitzing linebacker to find space and suffocate the pocket.

Yes, Alabama will likely try to establish the run early with the senior running back duo of Jace McClellan and Roydell Williams. However, here’s a reminder that the Aggies are currently the 20th-ranked run defense, holding opponents to 2.8 yards per rush. Anything can happen on Saturday afternoon, but in front of 100,000-plus screaming fans in Kyle Field, this defense, especially the D-line, looks to feed off the crowd noise and continue dominating the competition.

Texas A&M will host No.10 Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 2:30 p.m. CT, inside Kyle Field (TV: CBS).

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Projecting Alabama’s starting OL vs. Middle Tennessee State

What Alabama’s starting offensive line could be in its Week 1 matchup against Middle Tennessee State!

When Sept. 2 rolls around and [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide welcome in Middle Tennessee State to open up the 2023 football season, there will be plenty of eyes on which players trot onto the field as starters for the Tide.

One position group that is certain to have people’s attention is the offensive line. Alabama fans are hungry for physical play along the offensive line and there have been some key battles going on throughout fall camp, most notably on the left side.

With kickoff in less than two weeks, let’s project Alabama’s starting offensive line when they take on the Blue Raiders under the lights of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Tyler Booker’s move back to left guard explained by Nick Saban

Coach Saban is moving guys around on the offensive line

On Saturday, [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama football wrapped up their final scrimmage of fall camp, and later this week, once classes begin on campus in Tuscaloosa, the Tide will enter into game week mode and begin to prepare for their Sept. 2 season opener against Middle Tennessee State.

With the struggles that have come at that position group over the past couple of seasons, it’s obvious why so many folks are fascinated with the offensive line, most notably the left side. Following Saturday’s scrimmage, Coach Saban confirmed that some changes had been made to help accommodate the youth and inexperience on the left side of the offensive line.

“I think it’s made a lot of improvement,” Saban said of the left side of the offensive line. “Basically, we moved some guys around to try and get a balance of experience a little bit more. (Booker) played left guard last year. He was playing right guard, but we moved him back to left guard. I think that’s helped the left tackles who are less experienced, somebody that’s got more experience, more confidence, can make calls, can help them with their communication.

“That doesn’t mean it’s the way it’s going to be, but that’s one thing that has helped, to some degree, on that side of the line.”

It’s beginning to look like true freshman Kadyn Proctor has locked down the left tackle position, but Terrence Ferguson, who is also an inexperienced player who has worked exclusively at left guard and center, was on the verge of winning the left guard spot over veteran Darrian Dalcourt. With the move of Booker from right to left, Dalcourt now has emerged as a possible starter at right guard since he does have game experience there.

I believe it is safe to say we could see musical offensive linemen, especially early on in this season while to coaches discover which five make up the best starting unit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1134]

Nick Saban looking for more depth and consistency along the offensive line

Building more depth and consistency is Nick Saban’s goal for the Alabama offensive line

There is no question that one of the more inconsistent position groups for Alabama over the past couple of seasons has been the offensive line. In 2021, the Crimson Tide allowed 42 sacks over the course of the season which led to the hiring of Eric Wolford from Kentucky. Coach Wolf quickly put his stamp on the group which saw a ton of improvement in 2022 and nearly cut the sack total in half by allowing 22 sacks. Still, improvements are needed for the bug guys up front.

Following Saturday’s first scrimmage of fall camp, Nick Saban was asked about the progress of the offensive line and the head coach of the Crimson Tide was very blunt in his assessment.

“Inconsistent, not enough depth. We had a couple explosive runs but you know, when you’re playing against each other, was the explosive run because of great execution or was it because of terrible execution on the other side? Until you watch the film it’s kind of hard to evaluate. I just think we need to get more guys in the offensive line to be able to play winning football and we need to add depth to the group. We have maybe, six, seven guys that I think are in play but we need a lot more than that to get through the season.”

I think it’s important to note that Coach Saban is never satisfied and will always demand a little extra from everybody. There are currently six or seven guys who are ready to play, but I am sure the staff would like to have the number a little closer to 10 before the season gets underway on Sept. 2.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1134]

Improvements Alabama must make in 2023 to reach the CFP

Five improvements Alabama needs to make in 2023 in order to return to the CFP!

In less than two months, [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama football team will take the field inside Bryant-Denny Stadium to take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders to kick off the 2023 season.

There’s no denying that the 2022 season did not go the way fans or the team had hoped for and even still, there are plenty of question marks heading into the new season.

The quarterback battle in Tuscaloosa has dominated the headlines this offseason and while it is obviously important, I believe if the Tide can improve in some other areas on the team, regardless of who starts at quarterback, Alabama can return to the college football playoff.

With that said, here are five improvements Alabama needs to make in 2023!

Why OL play more critical to success for Alabama than QB in 2023

Alabama’s quarterback competition is dominating the headlines but offensive line play might be more critical to the Tide’s success in 2023.

Everybody loves to talk about quarterbacks. Truth be told, the quarterbacks are either given too much credit for a team’s success, or too much blame for the inadequacies of a team. So it should come as no surprise that the only topic anybody wants to discuss this offseason relative to Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide is the quarterback battle in Tuscaloosa.

Whoever eventually wins the starting job for the Tide will play an important role in the team’s success or failures in 2023, but I am not so sure it’s the most critical position on the offense this fall. If Alabama doesn’t get its offensive line right this season, who the quarterback is becomes a moot point.

This spring, junior offensive tackle JC Latham made it clear what he and his fellow offensive linemen wanted the group to be known for in 2023. “I want us to be ruthless. I want guys to every time we line up and get ready to hike the ball, I want them to be scared of us. I want them to understand that we’re going to hit them in the mouth every single play, ready to go four quarters.”

Sophomore Tyler Booker backed up Latham’s comments with some strong words of his own. “We want that mentality of ‘Man we have to play Alabama this week. How are we going to stop that run?’ “That’s the mentality that we want to have and honestly do this through the spring. That’s how Alabama played when I was growing up. This is what I see Alabama football as. To be able to bring that back to what it was, it means the most. That mentality is throughout the room like everybody’s trying to finish blocks, push the pile, and things of that nature. That’s the mindset of the room.”

It’s clear that Alabama, under the direction of second-year offensive line coach Eric Wolford, wants to rewind the clock up front and return to a more physical style of play along the offensive line. But talking about it only gets you so far. Being able to execute it between the white lines on Saturdays in the fall is all that matters.

So, am I out of line for believing that the OL play in 2023 is more critical than QB? Let’s take a deeper look.

In 2021 and 2022, Alabama had one of the most elite quarterbacks in Crimson Tide history but was unable to capture the most prized possession. There were a lot of variables that led to the Tide being unable to win a national championship and one of those, and maybe one of the more critical ones was the fact that Alabama was not elite along the offensive line.

Over the past couple of seasons, it has been a struggle for the Tide to convert on third and short situations or near the goal line because the offensive line just wasn’t physical enough to get the push needed to convert. Looking at what Latham and Booker each had to say, Alabama has made a concentrated effort to change that narrative this offseason.

With Tommy Rees, an old-style play caller, taking over as offensive coordinator and with the backs that Alabama has this fall, the running game will be what drives the success of the Alabama football program in 2023.

Sure, the quarterback will need to make plays and take care of the football. But make no mistake, the starting five up front will play a much more important role in Alabama’s success. If they are truly physical and relentless like Latham and Booker desire, then watch out. If not, it could be a long season for the Tide.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1134]

5 reasons to be confident in the 2023 Alabama Crimson Tide

There are certainly questions that still need to be answered, but here are five reasons to be optimistic about the 2023 Alabama Crimson Tide.

In just about two months, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide will take the field against Middle Tennessee State to begin the 2023 football season.

This has been quite the offseason for the Tide, legendary players Bryce Young and Will Anderson have moved on to the NFL, both of Alabama’s coordinators were replaced, and all of this is coming after Coach Saban and the Crimson Tide missed out on the College Football Playoff for just the second time since its inception.

Instead of focusing on all of the unknown, let’s take a look at five reasons to feel confident in the 2023 version of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Post-spring depth chart projections for Alabama’s offensive line

Projecting Alabama’s offensive line depth post-spring!

Now that spring football has officially wrapped up and the 2023 NFL draft is complete, it is time to shift our focus to the offseason.

Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have a ton of questions marks exiting spring and fans are chomping at the bit for answers.

So as we dive into the dog days of summer, I thought we could take a look, position by position, and project the possible depth chart for the 2023 Alabama football team post-spring.

We have already taken a look at the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends and today we will wrap up the offensive side of the ball with the offensive line!

Let’s roll!