Why Alabama moved Wilkin Formby to right guard

Nov 8, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama offensive lineman Wilkin Formby (75) celebrates an Alabama touchdown during the game with LSU at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

Alabama’s offensive line has had seven players make a start with the first team offense this season with left tackle Kadyn Proctor and center Parker Brailsford being the two constants, but another offensive lineman has perhaps found a permanent home at right guard.

Wilkin Formby started at right tackle at the beginning of the season, but due to injury and some offensive line struggles, Alabama started moving players around to see what could work where, and Formby was moved to right guard for a game or two in September.

“Basically, the message was like, ‘You’re playing good ball at tackle but for our offense,’ whatever week it was that I got moved to guard, they were like ‘this is going to fit our scheme better if you’ll play guard.’,” Formby said on Friday. “That’s just what they needed. I’m not going to say no. I just want to help the team win in any way possible. I’m thankful for any role on this team and to have an opportunity to help our team, and so that’s really all that I cared about.”

In the Crimson Tide’s first meeting with Georgia, Formby started at right guard, and he finished with a 93.2 pass block grade, per Pro Football Focus. That grade was the highest on the team that game, but when Formby went back to playing right tackle at times this year, his pass block grade has been nowhere near that mark. Now, it appears as if Alabama is rocking with Formby at right guard and freshman Michael Carroll at right tackle for the remainder of the season.

Formby has never played guard in his entire career. He described how playing right guard has been a totally different experience for him this year.

“It’s definitely been a different experience,” Formby said. “Like, it’s not something I expect going into this year. I’ve never played guard in my life, and so getting moved down to guard, I definitely have some ups and downs and stuff like getting used to it and stuff, but it’s been a pretty smooth transition especially like it’s not like I’m playing on the left side. Like, I’ve been playing on the right side. Obviously if you play right tackle, you have to know what the right guard is doing on almost every play. And also, having older guys in our room along with all the coaches that we have in our room just being able to help me, transition has been good.”

Formby talked about all the people he’s been working with since his transition to right guard.

“Really everybody,” Formby said. “I remember meeting with Coach Grubb first and him just saying this is what we need, and he’s coached a ton of good players and just asking him for advice, but obviously our offensive line coach. Like, I played a lot of guard before in the weeks before the first Georgia game. I remember just in the week of practice preparing a lot, and I would come up here with Parker [Brailsford] or J Rob [Jaeden Roberts] or Geno [VanDeMark] and then Kam [Dewberry] and some of the older guys, and then also our GAs and Coach Kap would meet me up here. We would just go over stuff to get me more comfortable for the game.”

Overall, Formby likes both right guard and right tackle, but he enjoys the fact that he can play inside and have fun “being able to be physical and nasty playing guard.”

Alabama will face Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 19.