Talking season is over, and battle season has officially begun. Alabama will open its preseason camp on Wednesday, exactly one month before it kicks off its season against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.

Unlike last year, the Crimson Tide doesn’t have to worry about baking up a new starting quarterback. Still, Kalen DeBoer will need to monitor a few heated competitions at several other positions over the next five weeks.

In this week’s column, I’ll predict the winners of Alabama’s six biggest position battles heading into camp. With that said, pour yourself a drink, and let's dive in.

This week’s drink is a nod toward Alabama’s 17 past and present athletes participating in this year’s Paris Summer Olympics. It’s origin also fits in line with the battle theme of this column.

The French 75 cocktail is named after the quick-firing French 75-millimeter field gun which proved to be a vital weapon during World War I. The combination of champagne, gin and lemon juice is said to knock you on your back similar to a blow from the powerful canon. In reality, the drink isn’t as deadly as the description implies. Then again, the same can be said about the French Army.

Here’s how to stir up the cocktail yourself.

Pour an ounce of gin, half an ounce of lemon juice and half an ounce of simple syrup into a shaker and shake over ice. From there, strain the mixture into a Champagne flute, top the drink off with a sparkling wine of your choice and garnish with a lemon.

Cheers!

(Commercial break: My drink of the week section is now sponsored by my friends at Session Cocktails in Tuscaloosa. Session has been a mainstay in Tuscaloosa’s cocktail scene since 2019 and offers some of the tastiest drinks in town. Stop by and tell them I said hi!)

I’ll cook up a complete depth chart later this week. But let’s be honest, these are the end pieces to my tray of preseason predictions. Here are my best guesses on Alabama’s hottest position battles before the Tide returns to action this week.

Contenders

— Elijah Pritchett | 6-6, 312 | R-So.

— Wilkin Formby | 6-7, 320 | R-Fr.

— Miles McVay | 6-6, 350 | R-Fr.

Prediction: Kadyn Proctor still has to earn back his starting spot at left tackle following his three-month transfer to Iowa this offseason. However, I’d be shocked if the five-star sophomore doesn’t resume his blindside blocking duties by Alabama’s season opener.

The other bookend of the Tide’s offensive line is more of an uncertainty.

With Proctor yet to rejoin the team, redshirt sophomore Elijah Pritchett spent the spring serving as the first-team left tackle while redshirt freshmen Wilkin Formby and Miles McVay rotated at the right tackle spot.

It’s interesting that Alabama didn’t elect to give Pritchett reps at right tackle, considering Proctor announced his intention to transfer back to Alabama in mid-March. Perhaps DeBoer was just working with the roster he had at the time. However, the move could end up advantaging Formby and McVay provided Proctor retains his left tackle role as expected.

On paper, Pritchett enters preseason camp as the favorite to land the right tackle job. He battled Proctor for the left tackle role last fall and has logged more in-game reps than Formby and McVay combined. However, my gut is telling me that Formby will be the one breaking the huddle at right tackle when Alabama opens the season against Western Kentucky.

Formby (6-foot-7, 320 pounds) fits the mold of the leaner, athletic offensive linemen Alabama will be transitioning to in DeBoer’s offense. The Tuscaloosa native generated positive reviews coming out of the spring and was selected as a guest on the ‘Hey Coach’ radio show in April. If he’s able to capitalize on the positive momentum he’s built up, he could be in line for a breakout season.

Contenders

— Jam Miller | 5-10, 211 | Jr.

— Justice Haynes | 5-11, 205 | So.

Prediction: This is a case of 1A and 1B. Regardless of who lands the starting spot between Justice Haynes and Jam Miller, both backs figure to receive plenty of touches this fall. In fact, redshirt freshman Richard Young should get a few opportunities of his own as the Tide’s No. 3 option out of the backfield.

Don’t worry, there will be no co-starter designations in this column. I’m giving Haynes the slight edge here as he primarily led the line at the running back position this spring.

Contenders

— DaShawn Jones | 6-0, 180 | R-Jr.

— Zabien Brown | 6-0, 180 | Fr.

Prediction: Heading into camp, the cornerback position appears to be a potential chink in the Crimson Tide’s armor. Alabama lost its top three cornerbacks from last year, as Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry left for the NFL while Trey Amos transferred to Ole Miss. Southern California transfer Domani Jackson joined the team in December and appears set to fill one of the two starting openings. The other is still very much up for grabs.

Five-star freshman Zabien Brown lined up opposite of Jackson during Alabama’s spring camp. Although, that was before the Tide added Wake Forest transfer Dashawn Jones in May. Jones started 10 games last season, leading the Demon Deacons with three interceptions.

Brown has the higher ceiling of the two, and I could easily see him earning a starting role by the end of the year. However, heading into preseason camp, I’m giving the nod to Jones due to his experience at the college level.

Contenders

— DeVonta Smith | 6-0, 194 | R-Jr.

— Red Morgan | 6-0, 175 | Fr.

Prediction: Previously labeled as the Star position under Nick Saban, the fifth defensive back in Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 setup will be referred to as the Husky. The role requires a defensive back who is strong enough to make tackles in the box and athletic enough to cover slot receivers and tight ends over the middle of the field.

With DeVonta Smith working his way back from a foot injury, true freshman Red Morgan spent some time at the Husky position early on during spring camp. Smith was eventually cleared for more involvement later in the spring and started at Husky with the first-team defense during the A-Day game.

Smith would have been in the mix for a starting spot last year had he not injured his foot during the summer. Assuming the redshirt junior can stay off the injury table, he figures to receive the first-team nod heading out of the gates this fall.

Contenders

— Quandarrius Robinson | 6-5, 231 | R-Sr.

— Keanu Koht | 6-4, 232 | R-Jr.

— Qua Russaw | 6-2, 242 | R-Fr.

Prediction: Under Saban, Alabama’s outside linebacker body types were divided into the Jack and Sam positions. In Wommack’s new setup, players with that frame will be condensed into the Wolf role, which will be the most agile of the Tide’s two starting edge rushers.

Alabama is looking to replace a starting edge-rushing duo of Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell, who combined for 18 sacks and 26 tackles for a loss last season. The Tide doesn’t return a certified star player at the position but has an abundance of talent to choose from to help fill the void.

Entering his fifth year with the team, Quandarrius Robinson figures to break camp as the first-team Wolf. He’ll have a pair of former top-50 recruits on his heels, as redshirt junior Keanu Koht and redshirt freshman Qua Russaw both saw first-team reps this spring.

While I’m picking Robinson as my starter, Alabama’s Wolf could depend on the situation. Robinson (6-foot-5, 231 pounds) has a much leaner frame than Russaw (6-foot-2, 242 pounds). Alabama could theoretically take advantage of Russaw’s extra bulk to set the edge on running downs while utilizing Robinson’s quicker step in passing situations.

Contenders

— Jah-Marien Latham | 6-3, 275 | R-Sr.

— LT Overton | 6-5, 265 | Jr.

Prediction: Unlike the Husky and Wolf positions which are new in name only, Wommack’s Bandit role is different to what Alabama used in the past. The Bandit serves as the heavy edge rusher and requires a more athletic defensive lineman than the tackle positions. Jah-Marien Latham and Texas A&M transfer LT Overton both weigh in at 275 pounds or lighter and are built perfectly for the role.

Latham served as Alabama’s first-team Bandit during the A-Day scrimmage but has yet to start a game in his college career. Meanwhile, Overton has four college starts under his belt, including one for the Aggies last year.

This battle could go either way and will be one I’ll be keeping my eye on throughout camp. At the moment, I'm leaning toward Latham. That being said, it might not matter too much who lands the starting role, as Alabama will likely rotate players across its defensive front throughout games.