Alabama football kicked off fall camp Thursday, Aug. 4.
Fans of the Crimson Tide are excited for this edition of athletes taking the field, as Nick Saban and the program look to reclaim the crown of national champions. With the start of college football quickly approaching, the staff writers for Touchdown Alabama Magazine will provide in-depth previews of the top 30 players on Alabama’s roster.
We continue to work though the top 10 with Cameron Latu at No. 9.
Cameron Latu
-Classification: Redshirt Senior
–Position: Tight End
-Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
-Height: 6-5
-Weight: 244 pounds
–Strengths: Strong runner after the catch, Length, Good route runner, Solid pass & run blocker, Effective blocker down the field, Experienced lined up out wide & as a traditional in-line tight end, Athleticism, Good hands
-Weaknesses: Needs to continue growing as a blocker
SUMMARY:
Cameron Latu looks to take the next step in his development as a tight end this upcoming season.
Latu came to Alabama as part of the 2018 recruiting class, and he was originally recruited to play linebacker. The former four-star recruit made the transition to tight end in 2019, and he earned the starting job in 2021. As a redshirt junior, the Utah native pulled in 26 receptions for 410 yards and eight touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Latu, he is in the process of working back from an undisclosed injury, and it is unclear if he will be available for the Crimson Tide’s first game of the season. Nick Saban said the redshirt senior was going to return to practice Monday.
“Cam’s gonna start practicing today,” Saban said during his Monday presss conference. “See how he progresses. See how he does. I don’t think anybody can make a prediction about that right now. He was on the treadmill and all that stuff last week. Never had an issue and never had a problem. So the next thing he does is start dry land working, doing individual, seeing what he can do in practice and, you know, it’s kind of day-to-day with him.”
Latu is a long and athletic tight-end prospect, with a solid build at 244 pounds. He is a good catcher of the football with soft hands. He is also a strong runner after the catch as he can power through tackle attempts.
The Alabama tight end is a physical blocker, but he is still growing in the area. He knows how to establish a solid base but is still growing from a technical standpoint. He is also an effective blocker down the field who can help extend plays for wide receivers after the catch.
Related countdown stories
–No. 19, DB Kool-Aid McKinstry
-No. 11, WR Tyler Harrell
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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.
