TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The three freshman offensive tackles in Alabama’s 2017 signing class don’t have to look hard to find motivation this fall. There’s a 6-foot-5, 301-pound reminder of how hard work can translate into success staring them right in the face during every practice.
No one on Alabama’s roster knows what this year’s offensive line class is going through better than Jonah Williams. The offensive lineman returns for his sophomore season after earning Freshman All-American honors while starting all 15 games at right tackle last season.
Like all three offensive tackles in this year’s class, Williams was a prized recruit in high school. The former five-star enrolled early at Alabama last season, joining the Crimson Tide as the No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 24 player overall in his class.
While that might look nice on recruiting services like the one you're reading right now, Williams will be the first one to tell you stars mean nothing once you hit training camp at Alabama.
“I didn’t think of myself as a five-star or think of anyone else as a three-star or anything like that,” Williams said of entering Alabama. “I think when you show up here everyone’s all at the same level. It’s kind of up to you to create your own identity here. I never thought of it that way and I always made an effort to not carry myself differently because of what some random guy thinks I am."
Now the sophomore is spreading that knowledge to his younger teammates.
“It’s a challenge, you know how tough it is to come in and compete at a level that we’re expected to on a daily basis,” Williams said. “I think that it all comes down to working hard. It sounds cliché but you come in, you learn your plays, you study them. You study extra film. You spend extra time in the weight room. You spend time with some of the older guys learning the techniques and how to handle different situations.”
Tuesday was the first time Alabama dressed out in full pads in any of its five practices this fall. While it’s naturally hard to judge offensive line play under limited contact, all three of Alabama’s freshman offensive tackles are off to promising starts.
Five-star early enrollee Alex Leatherwood has generated the most attention of the bunch, coming to the Tide as the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 4 overall player in this year's class. However, fellow five-star Jedrick Wills and four-star Kendall Randolph have also hit the ground running since arriving over the summer.
“The younger guys have done a really nice job,” junior offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher said last week. “They’ve been coming in and getting extra and coaches have really pushed older guys, trying to teach them and take them under their wing a little bit and just showing them how things are done.”
Of the trio, Leatherwood looks the most primed to earn a starting spot next season. The 6-foot-6, 322-pound lineman went through his fair share of growing pains this spring but has seemed to steadily progress throughout the offseason. While he has been slotted at right tackle on the second team unit, Leatherwood looks to be hot on the heels of sophomore Matt Womack for a first-team spot.
“I think getting that spring out of the way kind of gets you acclimated to the speed, and just being in the SEC, it’s like everyone’s good on the field,” Pierschbacher said of Leatherwood. “So, I think he’s really just taken that role and trying to develop his game and compete.”
Wills and Randolph have spent time on the third unit, working at right and left tackle respectively. Although they did not share Leatherwood’s advantage of working themselves gradually into life as an SEC linemen, both are thought to be heading in the right direction.
“I think they’ll all be fine,” Williams said. “They have the athletic ability to do it and I’ve seen good things from them so far. They’ve all worked hard.”
Alabama will hold its first scrimmage on Saturday, exactly three weeks removed from the Tide’s opener against Florida State on Sept. 2. The practice should serve as an early barometer of where each freshman stands in terms of development.
Whether that translates into early playing time is yet to be seen. Only hard work will determine that.
“Like Coach Saban always says, we’ll play the five best,” Williams said. “You might not always like it but it’s always fair. So I’m not sure how it’s all going to sort out in the end but there’s a lot of guys that are working hard and a lot of guys that are showing good things in practice. I’m just excited about gelling as a unit. I definitely think we have all the ability in the world.”
