Freddie Roach enters his second year coaching Alabama’s defensive line, and there is a lot of excitement about this group.
The Crimson Tide is rotating seven to nine players on its front, and it expects to play freshmen too. Nick Saban has been encouraged by the depth up front, and veteran players see no drop-off in production. Coach Roach has been stressing the importance of technique and explosion in preseason camp. LaBryan Ray, a redshirt senior, is trying to work his way back from groin surgery. He has endured injuries throughout his career, but the team is ‘hopeful’ that he’ll play versus Miami in week one.
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DJ Dale, a junior, is another defensive lineman that had been affected by injuries. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder was impressive when he arrived as a freshman in 2019. He dominated spring practice and earned a starting job at nose tackle.
Despite having success in 10 games, a knee injury forced Dale to miss three games. A native of Birmingham, Ala., he was hampered by an injury last season and was not able to sustain on the field. On Thursday, Dale told reporters that he is now as happy as he’s ever been.
“I am finally healthy, and I can be myself again,” Dale said. “I am having fun, and that is what I am looking forward to is having fun with my teammates. I just want to stay healthy.”
When he was healthy, Dale showed consistent explosion off the ball.
He had 17 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, a quarterback hurry, and a fumble recovery as a freshman. Players have spoken on Tim Smith’s maturity, and Dale told reporters that ‘the sky is the limit’ for the sophomore. Smith can play any position on the defensive line; however, having Dale healthy is big for the Crimson Tide.
This is his chance to create high draft value for himself. Hopefully, we see a dominant showing from Dale this season.
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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.
