Alabama's Landon Dickerson Looking Like He's Found a New Home

Graduate transfer appears set in the heart of the Crimson Tide offensive line at center

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The most telling thing about Alabama's practice on Wednesday was that there wasn't anything new on the offensive line. 

The first-team unit had redshirt junior Landon Dickerson at center, between freshman Evan Neal and junior Deonte Brown. It's the same lineup Alabama had at No. 24 Texas A&M on Saturday.

With each passing day it's looking more and more like Dickerson isn't going to moving from the middle of the Crimson Tide's offensive line anytime soon, and Alabama has finally found its starting front five. 

“I’ve got to get everybody on the same page," Dickerson said. "When you get into fast pace, up-tempo stuff, you just have to look at something, get a call out real quick, and make sure everybody hears that. There were times Saturday when not everybody got the call. Good things don’t happen when that happens. 

"So for me, it’s making sure that everybody gets on the same page every single play.”

Alabama likes to have its starting lineup in place by Wednesday, so if a player coming off an injury isn't working with the first-team by then it's a pretty strong indication of how the Crimson Tide will line up in the game.

About the only significant change on Wednesday was redshirt freshman Christian Barmore taking first-team reps as a pass-rusher in the dime package, 

Dickerson, a graduate transfer from Florida State, has started every game for the Crimson Tide this season, but just twice at center. Both times Owens was dealing with an injury, so he slid over from guard. 

He had never played the position before arriving at Alabama.  

“He did a nice job in the game," Nick Saban said. "He’d played it before. He’s practiced it a lot before. Deonte is obviously, too, to be a very powerful guy playing guard, which is what you want inside with the players that you have. 

"So, the combination of those guys worked out very well in this game."

Dickerson was matched up against Texas A&M's best defensive lineman Justin Madubuike, who was in on a handful of tackles, but otherwise went largely unnoticed. 

The coaches might already have on playing at Auburn next month, and needing a physical presence against defensive tackle Derrick Brown. 

The Evans-Dickerson-Brown combination between Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills Jr., figures to be a good answer. 

“Evan is good," Dickerson said about the 6-foot-7 freshman left guard. "He’s gotten good with knowing the calls, knowing what I’m asking him to do, what I tell, and he makes the call with whoever he needs to.”

Alabama may not have had its best rushing performance of the season statistically with 31 carries for 155 yards at Texas A&M, but the running backs averaged 5.5 yards per carry. The lone sack allowed came on a naked bootleg.

The Crimson Tide also didn't have any botched snaps despite playing in packed Kyle Field, one of the loudest venues in the SEC.

Should Dickerson stay at center it couldn't be the first time Alabama has plugged a guard or tackle into the middle during the Saban era. Last year Ross Pierschbacher went from being a three-year starter at guard to starting at center, and Barrett Jones moved from left tackle after winning the Outland Trophy in 2011. 

However, They didn't have his penchant for going to make opposing defensive linemen miserable, and knocking them flying when he's left with no one to block. 

"It’s really about making someone not want to rush as hard. If they know as soon as they go inside they’re going to get hit, usually they don’t want to rush as hard," Dickerson said. "So it makes my job a little easier and also makes my teammates’ jobs a little easier. It takes a little bit of the brunt off them."