Alabama's offensive line may still be unsettled, but becoming nasty (in a good way)

With Chris Owens sidelined, Alabama could again have a different starting five up front against Texas A&M

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jedrick Wills Jr. called it a "warm feeling."

He was referring to some of the blocks made by University of Alabama offensive linemen that have recently become popular on social media. Just about after every game this season someone has posted video showing an opposing lineman getting launched, flattened or destroyed. 

It's just about the ultimate compliment for an offensive lineman, and they're happening with more regularity.

"We kind of laugh about them," Wills said. "We laugh when we see what the defense is doing or how they react to them."

Nevertheless, after five games into the 2019 season and the Crimson Tide's offensive line remains a work in progress. That's not by design, of course, as there have been frequent changes on a regular basis. 

It's not how Alabama wanted to go into its first October game, at No. 24 Texas A&M, where Kyle Field has become one of the toughest venues in college football. 

"It's a loud place," said defensive lineman Raekwon Davis, and he hasn't had to deal with the deafening pre-snap screaming of 100,000-plus fans like the offense.

So when Nick Saban announced on Monday that redshirt junior center Chris Owens was questionable to play against the Aggies due to a knee issue, it made last week's practice lineup stand out a little more. 

During the media viewings the first-team offensive line was, from left to right, junior Alex Leatherwood, freshman Evan Neal, redshirt junior Landon Dickerson, redshirt junior Deonte Brown and junior Jedrick Wills Jr. — plus more and more redshirt sophomore Kendall Randolph has been lining up as a blocking tight end 

Wills got some extra rest, with senior Matt Womack filling in for him. By the end of the week, Owens wasn't even watching practices. 

Dickerson has started all five games this season, but one at center. 

Brown could be making his first start since being suspended for six games prior to the College Football Playoff. 

Yet despite all the turnover, Alabama's offensive line has played pretty well. 

Overall, the Crimson Tide has give up seven sacks in 170 pass attempts, one every 24.3 pass plays. It ranks second in the SEC in sacks allowed. 

The 174 rushing yards per game ranks seventh in the league, which Alabama fans are not used to being so low. Nevertheless, the potential to be better is obvious. Even though the longest carry so far by Najee Harris is 19 yards, and Brain Robinson' Jr. best has been 16 yards, the team's 5.3 average per carry is third. 

“We’re still working on trying to find all five guys doing the same thing on every play," Wills said. "That’s what develops that. Or just trying to develop those explosive plays rather than trying to worry about if it’s 19 or five yards. Just play by play and see if we can break a big one.”

Coming into the season, Alabama liked what it had on the offensive line, especially considering the team's depth. Leatherwood was going back from right guard to his natural position at left tackle. Experts on line play were raving about Wills at right tackle, giving the Crimson Tide two extremely-talented bookends to build around. 

The problems have been in the middle, were Dickerson, who had never played center before arriving this summer as a graduate transfer, quickly became a fixture. Despite his lack of experience, Neal was too big and strong not to plug in at left guard, especially with Brown out. 

Womack and redshirt freshman Emil Ekiyor Jr. (knee) have been dealing with injuries, but freshman Darrian Dalcourt has come on strong at center and is now considered a key reserve. 

With so many challenging for playing time, the obvious question rose about who would have to sit once Brown came back, assuming he re-claimed his starting job. 

"Heavy guy," Davis said about Brown. "He's powerful in the run. Pass pro, he's great at it."

On Monday, Saban gave a pretty good hint as to how this might eventually play out. 

"I think that the offensive line has done a good job in pass protection, and I think that we’re going to need to continue that as we play against better defensive teams, better rusher," the coach said. "The big focus has been to finish blocks, finish plays so that we can finish runs and create the kind of balance that we’d like to have offensively.

"I think we’ve been pretty good at getting a hat on a hat."

In other words, it's about attitude and finishing plays. 

To quote Janet Jackson, it's the nasty boys who Crimson Tide fans are going to want to sing about, the ones who have been showing up on social media. 

That gives Brown and Dickerson, who was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week following the South Carolina game, an edge. 

Their style of play is effective, rubs off on teammates and is extremely hard to stop. 

Consider something Davis said when asked about quarterbacks escaping containment, which can be maddening for a defensive lineman:

"The No. 1 thing that frustrates me, though, when I feel like I'm about to win, I'm gonna beat this guy, but, wow, here comes the center and they just, [slaps hands]. He hit you. That makes me mad every time."

They don't have a term for those devastating hits in Alabama's offensive line room, at least not yet. They're having too much fun making them.

"It’s football," Wills said. "It’s just playing football.