Nick Saban is concerned about the offensive guard and tackle spots for Alabama football, but he likes what the Crimson Tide returns in the middle at the center position.
Picture by Crimson Tide Photo
Darrian Dalcourt is one of three players out for spring practice, but he and Seth McLaughlin are back for Alabama at the offensive controls.
Dalcourt won the starting job during fall camp in 2021 and made 11 starts. He executed 15 knockdown blocks in 713 snaps, but Dalcourt surrendered 5.5 sacks, 2.5 quarterback hits, and two quarterback pressures. He had problems snapping the ball consistently earlier in the season. Two ankle injuries sidelined him during the postseason, and McLaughlin took over in Alabama’s final three games.
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McLaughlin replaced Dalcourt in the Iron Bowl versus Auburn.
Photo of Alabama center Seth McLaughlin (#56) coming on the field for warmups before the 2021 SEC Championship Game comes via Cedric Mason of Touchdown Alabama Magazine
He did now allow a sack of Bryce Young against the Tigers, Georgia (SEC Championship), Cincinnati (CFP Semifinal), and the Bulldogs again (CFP National Championship). The native Georgian played in 10 games – including three starts – and recorded 301 snaps. McLaughlin gave up 2.5 quarterback pressures and seven hits, but he was dominant in the SEC Championship Game and the Cotton Bowl. He assisted Young to 421 passing yards and three touchdowns versus the Bulldogs to win a conference title.
McLaughlin cleared the way for Brian Robinson to record 204 yards rushing against Cincinnati in the CFP Semifinal matchup.
Saban feels “good” about Dalcourt and McLaughlin at the position.
“Darrian Dalcourt played really well last year, and so did Seth when he got the opportunity to play,” Saban said last week. “Darrian is going to be out this spring, but when he comes back, Seth is a good leader. He’s a tough guy. It is about getting the other guys in the right spots.”
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Saban also brought up the thought of developing a third player at center.
“It is always an important spot to have somebody that can fill it if you lose a guy,” he said.
All six national championships of the Saban era at Alabama came with dominant play at center. William Vlachos, Barrett Jones, Ryan Kelly, Bradley Bozeman, and Landon Dickerson were at the controls for those championships.
Dickerson, Kelly, and Jones all became All-Americans.
James Brockermeyer, a four-star in the 2021 class, came to Alabama as one of the nation’s top center prospects from the high school ranks in Texas. Emil Ekiyor arrived in 2018 with experience playing center at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Ind.
He has settled in at the right guard spot, but Ekiyor can play center. It will be intriguing to see who becomes the third name, but McLaughlin earned the starting role at center based on how he performed in 2021.
The good news is Alabama wants to create depth.
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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.
