No one on Alabama’s offensive coaching staff is ready to announce the starter at right tackle.
Chris Kapilovic is willing the let the competition go into a couple of regular season games until someone emerges as the clear-cut winner.
Nick Sheridan is pleased with the players battling for the job as he’s seen growth from both as the offensive coordinator.
The Crimson Tide is in its final week of preseason camp before starting preparation for Western Kentucky. Alabama would like to see somebody rise and be the right tackle, but the staff also feels there is nothing wrong with playing two guys.
Sheridan spoke to the media on Wednesday about Wilkin Formby’s development at the position.
The redshirt freshman from Tuscaloosa (Ala.) is competing with Elijah Pritchett for the starting role. Formby is a talented athlete, but he’s changed up his body to sustain more.
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Sheridan likes the consistency Formby plays with on the line.
“He has done a nice job,” Sheridan said about Formby.
“He is still young. His mindset and demeanor is the same every day, so you appreciate that as a coach.”
Formby, a former four-star from Northridge High School in the 2023 recruiting cycle, has been rotating with Pritchett for first-team reps at right tackle throughout fall camp. The 6-foot-7, 324-pounder is more than capable of excelling in pass protection and run blocking, but he has to show he’s better than the teammate he’s competing against. Kadyn Proctor, a sophomore, has earned his starting job back at left tackle. He returned in the summer after leaving the Crimson Tide for Iowa in the transfer portal.
Proctor, a former five-star in the 2023 class, apologized for his mistake and is grateful to be back.
He has seen Formby’s growth at right tackle, but Proctor is confident about all the players getting rotated in.
“I have seen everyone at the right tackle spot, not just Wilkin, they have grown,” Proctor said.
“I believe that whoever plays there is going to be the best fit for us. They have all had experience going through practice and going against the guys we have, so it is good.”
Formby has been consistent, and that is the word Alabama has used a lot this offseason.
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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.
