He has been a staple along Alabama’s offensive line since 2015, but there is a new focus in Ross Pierschbacher’s eyes as he enters his senior year in the fall.
Hailing from Iowa, the three-year starter has played in 42 career games at left guard – assisting the Crimson Tide’s rushing attack to have three 1,000-yard performers and a 2,000-yard man in former standout Derrick Henry.
While he’s cleared the way for 28 100-yard rushing outings during his tenure, Pierschbacher’s abilities in pass protection were second to none in 2017.
The 6-foot-4, 309-pounder did not allow a sack in eight games and his effort versus Georgia in the College Football Playoff national title game was strong, as he protected Tua Tagovailoa in helping him account for 166 passing yards with three touchdowns on 14 completions.
When he arrived to Tuscaloosa in 2014, Pierschbacher drew comparisons to Barrett Jones because of his intelligence and versatility.
After seeing Jones contribute at right guard, left tackle and center, the man who chose Alabama over two Big Ten schools (Iowa, Nebraska) anticipates a smooth transition to center.
He has always been one to lead by example; however, head coach Nick Saban wants more vocal communication from Pierschbacher and he is willing to do more.
“With me being the fifth-year senior and having played a lot of football, the coaches just want me to be more verbal,” Pierschbacher said Wednesday during SEC media days. “But on the field, it’s just the basic stuff. They want to see me play with more power, have more consistency.”
The hardest thing in becoming more vocal for Pierschbacher will be directing his opinion across in a room full of highly-touted athletes from around the nation.
“I was a lot more verbal in high school,” he said. “But on this stage, it’s about being more comfortable with the room and gaining everyone’s respect. And that is something that’s proven over time, but over the summer when it has just been the players it has helped out a lot.”
As he enters his third season at Alabama, offensive line coach Brent Key has grown in developing leaders up front. With Pierschbacher at the controls, this year’s unit clearly has the potential to set the tone.
“He’s become more stable and comfortable,” Pierschbacher said on Key’s growth. “He tries to feel us out as players. Some guys react differently to different coaching, so he’s just getting the grasp of that. He’s been able to have us go in and run the show in the summer and that’s created a lot of growth for the offensive line.”
Pierschbacher was selected to the preseason Rimington Trophy watch list for 2018, according to the Boomer Esiason Foundation on Friday. The award is presented annually to college football’s top center and for the Tide, Barrett Jones (2012) and Ryan Kelly (2015) were its two most recent winners.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
