Alex Leatherwood’s job has been a lot tougher these days. Alabama’s starting left tackle earned first-team All-America honors last season while making easy work of opposing defensive linemen. Although, so far during the Crimson Tide’s fall camp, he’s had his hands full.
He can thank LaBryan Ray for that.
The starting defensive lineman is back to full health after suffering a season-ending foot injury during the Week 3 game against South Carolina last year.
“I’m definitely feeling better,” Ray said Wednesday during a Zoom interview with local reporters. “I’m 100 percent now, so it feels good to be back.”
Don't miss: Alex Leatherwood open up on Black Lives Matter message
Ray said he didn’t initially know the injury would keep him out for the rest of the season and described his time on the sidelines as “a big learning experience,” stating that it’s something that he can learn and grow from.
“It made me stronger,” he said.
Leatherwood can tell.
“He primarily lines up against me, so I’m getting the best practice I’ve ever gotten in a long time because he’s back,” Leatherwood said. “He’s doing great. I feel like he feels confident about his foot and stuff like that, and he’s practicing really, really well.”
Ray recorded nine tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and one sack, with a forced fumble last year before suffering his injury. The former four-star recruit saw time in all 15 games in 2018, tallying 39 tackles including 5.5 stops for a loss and 2.5 sacks.
“Great player, great athlete,” offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood said of Ray on Wednesday. “He’s a workhorse as well. He comes to work every single day.”
Heading into his fourth year with the program, Ray will look to take over for departing starter Raekwon Davis as the leader of a young but talented defensive line. Alabama spent the majority of last season playing two true freshmen across its front three as D.J. Dale started at the nose guard position while Justin Eboigbe and Byron Young filled in for Ray at defensive end.
“Both of them are great guys, first,” Ray said of Eboigbe and Young. “Secondly, they come to work every day and last year they took big strides. They’re getting better every day, even in fall camp this year, they’re coming to work and they try to do their jobs to the best of their ability.”
Dale, who saw his season cut short three games with a knee injury, is now recovered and is projected to reclaim the starting nose guard role this season. Meanwhile, Christian Barmore is a leading candidate to join the starting front three opposite of Ray.
Barmore is thought to be Alabama’s biggest pass-rushing threat this season after registering the highest pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles last year at 20.8 percent. The redshirt sophomore tallied two sacks, six tackles for a loss and five quarterback hurries in his first season with the Tide last year.
“Christian Barmore, that’s my guy,” Ray said. “I think he’s a great player. He can play the run, pass-rush, I think he’s (there). But I think this year we have to do it as a committee. It really doesn’t matter who … we have to come together as a group and come to work, play more physical. Play more with effort. Just do our job every day. Do our job every play.”
Alabama will need all the help it can get as it looks to improve on a unit that finished tied for No. 44 in the nation averaging 2.46 sacks per game. The Tide’s 32 sacks over 13 games last season was its lowest total since 2014.
“Sacks are important to us, we have to be better,” Ray said. “That’s what we strive for, to get the best out of reach other, the best version of ourselves. I think if we can get to that point, then everything else will take care of itself.”
According to Ray, those daily battles against Leatherwood during practice should have him firing on all cylinders in no time.
“He’s definitely gotten me better every day,” Ray said. “Just to be back on the field and be able to go against him every day, because the majority of time every snap we take is against each other, it’s been a great experience for me. It’s something I’m definitely blessed to have.”
