Football is back in the air. Alabama is set to kick off its fall camp this week as it holds its first practice on Friday. Before the Crimson Tide returns to the field, BamaInsider will take a look at each of the position groups. We continue our series today by examining the offensive line.
Biggest question: How will Alabama manage Deonte Brown's suspension?
Alabama will likely cycle through a variety of combinations on the offensive line between the start of camp and its opener against Duke on Aug. 31. However, the changes might not stop there.
The Crimson Tide will begin the season without Deonte Brown as the redshirt junior serves out the final four games of his NCAA suspension. Brown started five games at left guard last season, replacing Lester Cotton late in the year before facing suspension during the College Football Playoff. The 6-foot-4, 338-pounder is one of Alabama’s best run-blockers and would likely be the leading candidate to retake the starting left guard role to begin this season if not for his suspension.
Brown’s four-game hiatus will only add to Alabama’s problems inside as the Crimson Tide already has to replace Cotton and starting center Ross Pierschbacher. Alex Leatherwood also appears set to move from right guard to left tackle. This spring, we saw redshirt junior Chris Owens take over the center position while redshirt freshman Emil Ekiyor Jr. played left guard and redshirt senior Matt Womack played right guard. That could very well be the way Alabama lines up against Duke. Although, even if it is, will one of those three get bumped once Brown returns from suspension?
The next few weeks should provide better insight toward how Alabama plans on approaching the situation up front. Fortunately for the Crimson Tide, it has several versatile linemen who can play both inside and outside. That should allow first-year offensive line coach Kyle Flood to sort out the best combination over time.
