Fall camp for the University of Alabama football team starts on Wednesday, July 31, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The athletes are scheduled to report to camp on Tuesday, July 30, as Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff looks to produce a national champion in this team. In this series, leading into the first practice, the staff at Touchdown Alabama Magazine will break down starting jobs that are up for grabs.
Competition will be marquee in practice, and DeBoer is only putting the best on the field.
RELATED: Jalen Milroe discusses how he handled ‘dark times’ at Alabama
First, we look at Alabama’s left tackle position between Kadyn Proctor and Elijah Pritchett.
Kadyn Proctor
Kadyn Proctor left Alabama to see if returning home to Iowa would be worth it — following Nick Saban’s retirement announcement — but he quickly realized he made a mistake. The former five-star came back to the Crimson Tide via the transfer portal and is humbled to be back.
He started all 14 games as a freshman in 2023 at left tackle, earning Freshman All-SEC Team honors.
Proctor assisted the Tide to winning a Southeastern Conference title and advancing into the College Football Playoff.
Chris Kapilovic, Alabama’s offensive line coach, praised the effort Proctor has put in. He’s gotten after it in the weight room, film room, and in practices this summer. Proctor wants to be elite and deliver the Tide’s offensive unit a Joe Moore Award.
He has been working on the second team unit, but Alabama’s also mixed Proctor in with the first group too.
Elijah Pritchett
Elijah Pritchett enters his redshirt sophomore campaign with a lot to prove.
He was arrested twice during the offseason for charges of speeding (April) and knowing spreading a sexually transmitted disease in December of 2023. Pritchett arrived on the University of Alabama’s campus as a highly-touted four-star from Carver High School in Columbus (Ga.) for the 2022 recruiting class. The 6-foot-6, 312-pounder has played in 15 career games, including 13 last season for the Tide’s SEC Championship team.
Pritchett served as a backup to Proctor at left tackle, yet he took every starting rep at the position during spring practice. He has improved in pass protection against speed rushers on the edge, but is it enough for Pritchett to overtake Proctor?
This will be an intriguing battle, especially when it comes to who can keep Jalen Milroe upright.
Predicted Winner: Kadyn Proctor
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
