Will the men in the trenches for Alabama football impose their will on opponents this fall?
It is a question Crimson Tide fans want answered in preseason camp.
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Eric Wolford has done well with the offensive line, but supporters want to see Freddie Roach get more out of the defensive linemen. Alabama looks to have more balance, and it starts with the linemen taking ownership. The Football Writers Association of American (FWAA) announced its preseason candidates Tuesday for the Outland Trophy, which is presented to the best interior lineman in college football. Alex Leatherwood, a University of Alabama alum, captured the award in 2020 before turning pro.
The Tide has three names — JC Latham, Tyler Booker, and Jaheim Oatis — as candidates on the watch list.
Latham, a junior offensive tackle, came to Tuscaloosa (Ala.) as a five-star in the 2021 class.
He earned playing time as a reserve in 14 games during his freshman campaign, getting 104 snaps. Latham helped the Crimson Tide to a Southeastern Conference Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
The 6-foot-6, 335-pounder became a leader in 2022 as the starting right tackle. Latham had 29 knockdown blocks in 13 games, setting up the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense (41.1 ppg) to have 11 wins. He allowed only two sacks and opened holes for the running backs to average 5.5 yards per rushing attempt. Latham told reporters at SEC Football Media Days the goal for this offensive line is to win the Joe Moore Award and “shock the world.” He is the anchor up front for a physical, hungry group.
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Booker, a sophomore offensive guard, arrived in Alabama’s 2022 class as a five-star.
He is arguably the best run-blocker on the team, serving time at right and left guard last year. Booker punished defensive linemen to allow Jahmyr Gibbs (926 yards rushing, seven touchdowns) and Jase McClellan (655 yards rushing, seven scores) to have success as running backs. He also assisted Bryce Young to 3,328 passing yards and 32 touchdowns in his final season.
Oatis, a sophomore defensive tackle, came in the Tide’s 2022 class as a four-star.
He was over 400 pounds during his recruitment, but Alabama’s nutrition staff fixed that. Oatis dropped to 360 pounds to play, and now he expects to stay at around 330 pounds. The native Mississippian had an impressive freshman campaign, earning Freshman All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches. Oatis played in 12 games — including 10 starts — and had 29 tackles, two stops for loss, a sack, four quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups. The 6-foot-5 specimen would reset an opponent’s offensive line in multiple matchups last year. Alabama has not had a disruptive nose tackle since Quinnen Williams, but Oatis brings marquee potential. He looks to free up linebackers to make plays and help the secondary create turnovers 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.
