Alabama 2019 spring camp preview: Offensive line
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With Alabama’s spring football practice set to begin Friday, BamaInsider is previewing each position on offense and defense. We continue our previews today with the offensive line.
On the surface, Alabama’s departures at offensive line are a bit concerning. The Crimson Tide lost three starters in Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher and Lester Cotton as well as a veteran presence in Joshua Casher. Richie Petitbon transferred to Illinois, while fellow backup Elliot Baker is not listed on the team’s official roster.
Despite all that, Alabama still has a wealth of experience at the position. The Crimson Tide returns four players with starting experience as well as several young, talented options capable of stepping into bigger roles.
Returning players
Alabama returns three starters from last season in right tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., right guard Alex Leatherwood and left guard Deonte Brown. Matt Womack served as a reserve last year but essentially counts as a fourth returning starter after starting all 14 games at right tackle during the 2017 season. While Brown is a favorite to land a starting role, he’ll miss the first four games of the season as he serves out the remainder of his suspension that kept him out of the College Football Playoff.
Outside of those four, the returners best poised to compete for starting roles are redshirt freshman Emil Ekiyor Jr. and redshirt junior Chris Owens. Ekiyor, a former four-star recruit, played just nine snaps last season but spent time at center and guard on the second-team unit in practice. Owens was Alabama’s backup center last season and also saw some time at tackle as well. Both players could start early in the season while Brown is suspended.
Redshirt junior Scott Lashley and redshirt freshman Tommy Brown both measure in at 6-foot-7 and are players to watch at the tackle position. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomores Hunter Brannon and Kendall Randolph should add depth to the unit as well.
Who's coming in?
All five offensive linemen in Alabama’s 2019 class are early enrollees and will have plenty of time to acclimate themselves to the next level by the start of the season. The group is highlighted by five-star Evan Neal, who is rated as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 8 player overall in the class. The 6-foot-7, 360-pounder is by far Alabama’s biggest lineman and could compete instantly for the left tackle spot vacated by Williams.
Pierce Quick (6-foot-5, 285 pounds) was the first member of the class to arrive at Alabama and can provide depth at either tackle or guard. Tanner Bowles (6-foot-5, 280 pounds) projects more as a guard, while Amari Kight (6-foot-7, 313 pounds) will play tackle. Darrian Dalcourt (6-foot-3, 292 pounds) is also a dark horse for early playing time. The former four-star recruit was rated as the No. 3 center in his class and could compete with Ekiyor and Owens for the starting role.
How we see things playing out
Alabama has all the pieces, it’s just a matter of putting the puzzle together. Wills is a safe bet to remain at right tackle where he will protect left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side. After that, things get a little more complicated.
Leatherwood could make the switch to left tackle to fill in for Williams. Womack would then likely take Leatherwood’s spot at right guard. Brown should reclaim his spot at left guard once he returns from suspension. Until then, Ekiyor could fill in at the position while Owens starts at center. If that’s the case, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out once Brown returns. Ekiyor is viewed as one of the more promising prospects on the line and could move to center midway through the season to remain in the starting lineup.