Alabama’s six national championships under Nick Saban had one common denominator.
The Crimson Tide dominated up front with physical offensive linemen.
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It had names such as Barrett Jones, Chance Warmack, William Vlachos, Mike Johnson, D.J. Fluker, James Carpenter, Cam Robinson, Jonah Williams, Jedrick Wills, Alex Leatherwood, Landon Dickerson, and Evan Neal that brought toughness and physicality. Alabama got pushed around in 2022, which made it difficult for it to consistently run the ball. The Tide’s front line also had issues keeping Bryce Young protected. Eric Wolford is in his second season as Alabama’s offensive line coach.
He received a pay raise from the University of Alabama’s Board of Trustees and recruited elite talents. Wolford brought in Kadyn Proctor, Miles McVay, Wilkin Formby, Roq Montgomery, and Olaus Alinen in this recent class. All five are hungry to restore dominance to the front unit, and one possibly may break into the starting rotation. Alabama also returns Seth McLaughlin, JC Latham, Tyler Booker, and Darrian Dalcourt from last year’s group. Jaheim Oatis, a sophomore defensive tackle, had some things to say about the offensive line in Tuesday’s press conference. He really likes the leadership.
“That group is hard,” Oatis said about Alabama’s offensive line. “They all work hard. JC is a good leader, T. Book is a good leader, the whole O-Line are leaders.”
Oatis said the offensive line and defensive line are fiercely competing against each other.
“We are making each other better every day,” he said. “We are competing out here.”
Tommy Rees wants to have balance as a new offensive coordinator, and JC Latham wants the O-Line to be “ruthless.”
If Oatis likes the leadership of the offensive unit, we could be in for a fun season in the fall.
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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.
