How Kadyn Proctor is helping freshman OT Michael Carroll

Alabama freshman offensive lineman Michael Carroll (middle) looks on during practice. Photo | Alabama Athletics

Kadyn Proctor sees a lot of himself in Michael Carroll. Both tackles arrived at Alabama as five-star prospects, and both offer imposing size and strength on the offensive line. 

Proctor, a junior, also remembers how hungry he was to get on the field when he joined the Crimson Tide in 2023. And while he started every game at left tackle during his freshman season, Proctor still has a good idea of what Carroll is going through as he looks to break into the Tide’s front five. 

“He hates being with the twos as anybody would,” Proctor said. “I know that’s how I was, too. And I see he’s trying to do the things to change that and never be on the twos. And Wilkin’s [Formby] doing the same thing, and anybody who plays right tackle. It sucks being on the twos, but you’ve just got to treat it like a normal practice and do your job.” 

Unlike Proctor’s freshman season, Carroll is still looking for his first start at Alabama. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-6, 321-pound freshman has played in 48 offensive snaps over the past two games — the most among any backup offensive lineman. Several of those have come with the first-team offense, as he’s rotated with starter Wilkin Formby.  

Carroll has been solid during his cameos. According to PFF, he’s earned a 74.0 pass-blocking grade, allowing just one quarterback pressure over 30 pass-blocking snaps. His PFF run-blocking numbers haven’t been as impressive, as he’s managed a 59.6 mark over 18 opportunities. 

That mixed success, combined with high preseason expectations, can create plenty of pressure for a star freshman. Carroll, a Pennsylvania native who starred at IMG Academy, was rated as the No. 17 overall prospect in this year’s class by the 247Sports Composite. However, there’s a big difference in plowing through high school competition and banging bodies with grown men at the college level. 

Proctor knows about that all too well. After joining Alabama as the top-rated offensive lineman in the 2023 class, he struggled mightily in his freshman season, allowing a team-high 36 pressures and 12 sacks over 14 games. 

“It’s definitely stressful,” Proctor said. “Definitely stressful coming and playing in the SEC. It’s hard to do. Especially when… like [coming from] being the best player and you lose and you lose constantly. And you’re trying to do everything to change it but you’re not seeing some results, so you gotta do a little extra. It might take a lot of your time, but that’s just what has to happen.”

When asked what lessons he’s looking to pass down to his freshman teammate, Proctor said the key is to take everything one play at a time and develop a short memory for mistakes. 

“Not letting the bad play hinder your future plays,” Proctor said. “That’s really the biggest thing. If your mind goes to that one bad play and we’ve got 30 more plays to go– I’m saying in a practice or in a game– you can’t, that’s not something that you can think about or it’ll ruin the rest of the game for you.”

Carroll will have some extra time to work on polishing his game as Alabama has an open date on its schedule this weekend. From there, the Crimson Tide will open up SEC play on Sept. 27 with a trip to Georgia.