Healthy Jaeden Roberts Vows 'Relentless' Play, Improved Leadership in Fall

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama offensive lineman Jaeden Roberts had big expectations entering the 2024 season. At the Crimson Tide's media day on Monday, he said he felt he could've done some things better after a breakout 2023 put him in a good spot for last year.

"Just [been] working on my technique. Just trying to be a better leader. I know I could've done a better job last year, but I was still trying to learn, just for myself, how can I teach the younger guys and teach the guys that are around me on the O-line. Just taking those strides."

He played in 12 games last year as a redshirt junior, even though he was not healthy for that entire stretch. Roberts missed the Mercer game last November after getting hurt against LSU the weekend prior. This past spring, he gave himself a clean bill of health.

"[I'm looking forward to] just being dominant and being relentless going into the season," he said Monday. "I want to be that guy that whoever's in front of me, they fear what's coming ahead. I just want to be a relentless player no matter what."

With the experience Roberts has accrued comes the capacity for being a leader and showing young players the ropes. In the trenches, that becomes all the more vital. SEC defensive lines are no joke. That's what Roberts and his teammates are battling week in and week out.

"I'm getting more comfortable in the leader position," Roberts said. "For example, T-Book [Tyler Booker]. He was a great leader. Every time that he had the chance to speak his mind and really be a dominant player, he did. That's what I'm trying to get to as well."

That's also the aspect Roberts pointed to as how he might improve from last fall. The team's fall camp got underway midway through last week, where the offensive line group plays host to compelling narratives, including the left guard battle between Geno VanDeMark and Kam Dewberry.

"Just, for myself, and how can I involve myself more with the guys around me," he said. "Just being that guy for, just to lean on. I've always been the guy that checks on others, making sure that everything's good within the team, making the morale really respectable and really something to be cherished.

"I really love these guys to death. I just want to make that more apparent this season."

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