Spring Football News & Info

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Alabama: Who takes over on the offensive line? Travis Reier, BamaOnLine: "With center Ross Pierschbacher and offensive tackle Jonah Williams moving on. And it's not just the experience UA is losing with the duo departing, it's that they manned the 2 most critical positions up front during the 2018 season. Additionally, guard Lester Cotton has exhausted his eligibility after making 28 starts in Tuscaloosa. Meanwhile, fellow interior lineman Deonte Brown, who was suspended for the 2019 College Football Playoff after failing an NCAA-administered drug test, isn't expected to be available for the start of the 2019 campaign. "With all of that in mind, junior Alex Leatherwood is a good bet to move from right guard to left tackle, where he spent most of his freshman season in 2017. A tackle tandem of Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills is one that most UA fans envisioned for 2019. As for the interior spots, program veteran and unit-wide swingman Chris Owens served as the backup to Pierschbacher last season. Redshirt freshman Emil Ekiyor and redshirt senior Matt Womack, who started every game at right tackle two seasons ago, are a couple of other players to watch at the center and guard positions, respectively."

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WHO’S COMING BACK? Jedrick Wills, Alex Leatherwood, Deonte Brown, Matt Womack, Chris Owens, Emil Ekiyor, Scott Lashley, Tommy Brown, Kendall Randolph, Hunter Brannon Wills and Leatherwood started all 15 games at right guard and right tackle, respectively, a year ago. ...could we see Leatherwood move back to left tackle where he replaced the Williams in the 2018 national title game? It’s a possibility. Other than those two, Alabama also has some returning players with first-team experience. Brown started five games at left guard last year, but he was suspended for the playoff by the NCAA and his eligibility for the upcoming season is still unclear. So, he’s up in the air. Womack also has starting experience having manned the right tackle position two years ago. He could play at either tackle or guard this spring to set up a return to the starting five. That leaves one -- or two positions, and Owens and Ekiyor received high praise from Pierschbacher during his media availability in Mobile, Ala. How the offensive line shakes out will be a top storyline. WHO’S COMING IN? Evan Neal, Pierce Quick, Amari Kight, Darrian Dalcourt, Tanner Bowles All five of the offensive linemen the Tide signed in the 2019 recruiting cycle are already on campus as five of the team’s 15 early enrollees. Quick has been in town the longest, practicing with the team prior to the College Football Playoff. It will be interesting to see if any of the young players push the veterans for playing time, especially Neal, who weighed in at 6-foot-7, 360.

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