Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker is a veteran member of the Crimson Tide these days. But after he arrived as a four-star recruit in 2022, it wasn’t long before he saw the field. Booker quickly earned his place rotating at both guard positions and earning Freshman All-SEC and All-American honors.
Now, as Booker heads into his junior season, and Alabama gets set to begin its first campaign under Kalen DeBoer, a few freshmen could find themselves having a similar opportunity that Booker earned a few years ago. The Crimson Tide has a younger core in a few key position groups and several freshmen will be expected to step up in Year 1.
When speaking to reporters at SEC Media Days on Wednesday, Booker said it doesn't take too long to tell which freshmen are capable of contributing early.
“The locker room can kind of tell which freshman are going to play early just because of the respect that freshman garners,” Booker said. “Like when I was a freshman I really wasn’t treated like a freshman, and what I mean by that is that a lot was expected from me but that was because of how I carried myself.”
Fortunately for Alabama, it looks like its incoming freshman class will be up to the task. Several players have already turned heads during Alabama’s spring practices. Caleb Odom, who arrived as a tight end prospect, has been converted to wide receiver and now projects as an intriguing size mismatch for opposing defensive backs. Then there’s Justin Okoronkwo, who turned heads with 11 tackles during Alabama’s A-Day game.
Booker acknowledges that Alabama’s newcomers have the potential to be special. He heaped praise on the Tide’s freshman group, including one member of the offensive line unit who has shown a strong willingness to improve each day.
“I want to give a shoutout to all the young guys that came in the summer or January," Booker said. "Every single one of them has come in ready to work. They're having the want to get better. For example, a guy in (the O-Line) room, William Sanders. Every day after (practice) he’s coming up to me, ‘Hey Book, how do I look? How do I do this? What do you do here? So I just want to commend those guys for being so coachable and understanding that I have some experience and they’re all wanting to learn from it.”
As Alabama looks to get the most out of its entire 2024 group in Year 1, freshman impact at wide receiver and defensive back will be particularly examined next season. Alabama lost a bunch of talent at both spots from Nick Saban’s final team. However, Saban, with some late help from DeBoer, brought elite players at both spots in 2024, including highly touted receiver Ryan Williams.
"It’s crazy to see how mature he is at such a young age,” Alabama safety Malachi Moore said. “You talk about a kid who skipped his senior year to come be a freshman in college. You don't see that every day and when I seen him at practice the first time I see why he did what he did, but he's an electrifying player and he's very smart and skilled at a very young age. He understands coverages, and it's just -- like I said, going back to his age, just to see how mature he is is really wonderful."
“He’s making a lot of plays,” Booker added... “He’s a playmaker and you can see that. Actually, I was able to see him play in the state championship. Him and (freshman defensive back) Jaylen Mbakwe stood out to me. I was like, ‘Man, I’m glad these guys are on my team.’”
The veteran praise for Alabama’s youngsters suggests that the Crimson Tide’s future under DeBoer is in good hands. In the secondary, Mbakwe and fellow former five-star DB Zabien Brown will look to help fill the holes left by Kool-Aid McKinstry, Terrion Arnold and Caleb Downs; while Williams aims to live up to the hype at wideout. Alabama has the potential to have a breakout freshman impact at several positions next season, which could dictate just how far DeBoer’s side goes in 2024.
