A Look at Some of Alabama's Possible Combinations for Next Season's OL

New Crimson Tide offensive line coach Eric Wolford will have a lot to work with in his first year.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s newest assistant will have his work cut out for him this offseason. According to multiple reports, Eric Wolford is set to take over as the Crimson Tide’s offensive line coach this season after spending the past year in the same role at Kentucky.

He’s in for a busy few months.

First up on Wolford’s to-do list will be finding a replacement for consensus All-American Evan Neal at left tackle. He’ll also need to develop a new starter on the other side of the line as right tackle Chris Owens is moving on after six seasons with the Crimson Tide. Along with losing the two bookends of last year’s line, Alabama saw two reserves transfer out of the program in Tommy Brown (Colorado) and Pierce Quick (Georgia Tech).

On the bright side, the unit still returns a couple of key pieces from last year as well as several talented emerging options.

Emil Ekiyor Jr. will be back for his final season after starting all 28 games at right guard the past two years. Javion Cohen also established himself as a reliable first-teamer, starting 14 games at left guard during his sophomore season last year.

Darrian Dalcourt and Seth McLaughlin both started games at center last year, while Damieon George Jr. started three games at right tackle. The unit also features a pair of five-star tackles from the 2021 class in J.C. Latham and Tommy Brockermyer.

In addition to its returning talent, Alabama added two SI99 offensive linemen in Elijiah Pritchett (No. 16) and Tyler Booker (No. 27) as well as three-star talent Dayne Shor in this year’s recruiting class.

Wolford has plenty of time to figure out his best front five over the offseason. Here’s a look at some of the options he has to choose from.

Graphic | Edwin Stanton

Alabama returns the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in Bryce Young, so it only makes sense to form a unit that can give him time to deliver passes. While the Crimson Tide loses its best pass-blocker in Neal, its two five-star talents from last year’s class could help pick up the slack.

Latham (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) and Brockermeyer (6-5, 305 pounds) both bring plenty of athleticism to the tackle position. That’s vital as Young’s ability to extend plays with his feet in the pocket tends to put more of a toll on his linemen.

This setup would also provide nice interior protection as Ekiyor and Cohen did not surrender sacks over a combined 1,247 pass-blocking snaps last season. The center position could still be a liability as neither Dalcourt nor McLaughlin posted stellar pass-blocking numbers last season. Dalcourt gets the nod here based on experience.

Graphic | Edwin Stanton

While Young returns at quarterback, Alabama’s biggest strength might be in the backfield as its current running backs room features seven former top-100 recruits. Even with the Tide expected to lose at least one of those backs to the transfer portal, it could make sense for a switch to a more run-centric offense next season.

In this setup, Latham once again starts at left tackle while Cohen shifts over from left guard to serve as the other bookend of the unit. Out of the linemen with at least 75 run-blocking snaps, Latham is Alabama’s highest-graded returner, receiving a 77.9 grade from Pro Football Focus. Cohen wasn’t as strong in the run game, posting a 65.6 grade from PFF. However, moving him to tackle makes room for a pair of road-graders inside.

Ekiyor moves to center here as incoming freshman Booker and George man the left and right guard spots respectively. Center is Ekiyor’s preferred position, while Booker and George both feature plenty of brute strength to provide a push inside. 

Graphic | Edwin Stanton

This likely won’t be Alabama’s front five as it's hard to imagine Cohen losing his starting spot after a solid sophomore season. However, it’s still fun to look at the Crimson Tide’s biggest possible unit.

The combined weight of this setup is 1,641 pounds while it averages out at 6-foot-5, 328.2 pounds per lineman. For perspective Alabama’s starting offensive line in the national championship weighed in at a combined 1,579 pounds, and that’s including a 350-pounder in Neal.

This offensive line features plenty of talent and would still likely be productive. However, it’s unlikely we will see this grouping barring a few injuries. 

Graphic | Edwin Stanton

Just like size, experience isn’t everything. It’s even less likely that we see this lineup take the field next season. Still, it provides a nice look at the veterans Alabama has returning.

The Tide lacks many veterans at the tackle positions as George (three career starts) and Kendall Randolph (13 career starts) have the most experience in the unit. It’s also worth pointing out that seven of Randolph’s starts have come as a blocking tight end.

Alabama has a bit more experience in the interior as Ekiyor (28 career starts) is entering his third year as a starter while Cohen (14 career starts) and Dalcourt (11 career starts) both broke into the first team offense on a regular basis last year. 

Graphic | Edwin Stanton

Nick Saban generally favors experience, but the head coach has been known to dole out early playing time for young linemen in the past. Given the young talent in its unit, Alabama could elect to really shake things up with some fresh faces this year.

As stated previously, Latham and Brockermeyer provide Alabama with an athletic duo at the tackle positions. In this setup, we moved Cohen to right guard where he could provide guidance to a first-year starter in Brockermeyer. That allows Latham to start alongside his former IMG Academy teammate, Booker, who slots in at left guard. Ekiyor moves to the center position where he can provide guidance to the freshman guard.