How Does Alabama's Offensive Line Factor Into Evaluating the Defense?

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama has a lot to be excited about on the defensive line, as transfers Devan Thompkins and Terrance Green headline a revamped unit. The group has been among the standouts of the first half of fall camp.

"Our D-line's just been really consistent," head coach Kalen DeBoer said after last Thursday's scrimmage. "I don't want to take that for granted, so I should mention that. I have an expectation for them. I think that they've done a nice job."

On the other side of the trenches, the Alabama offensive line has rightly been flagged by many as one of the most important and concerning areas of the roster. With four new starters and a new coach in Adrian Klemm, the unit will be under a microscope this season, especially given its struggles last fall.

So how does this affect the way the Alabama staff evaluates the defensive line? For defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, it starts with an acknowledgement of the progress the O-line has already made.

"I think Adrian Klemm's doing a really nice job with that group," Wommack said. "There's a physicality that they are playing with. And, I think between them and the tight end room, the running backs, and some of the young guys in that room as well, they are doing a good job of setting the tone. And so there are some things that they're bringing to the table that present challenges for us."

With that being said, it is impossible to ignore the gap in experience between the two sides. Michael Carroll and Jayvin James are the only projected offensive line starters who have started an FBS game before, whereas the defense boasts the likes of Green, Thompkins, Yhonzae Pierre, and seventh-year players Kedrick Bingley-Jones and Jah-Marien Latham.

"From our defensive line standpoint, we do have a little bit more experience in that room right now," Wommack said. "And I think we've got some maturity in that room that tends to be showing up."

Ultimately, while it is impossible to truly evaluate any position group until the games are actually played, there are plenty of reasons to believe Wommack has a greatly improved group up front. He also has improved versatility, as, for the first time in his three-year tenure as Alabama defensive coordinator, Wommack believes he will have the ability to regularly mix up schemes and play a base defense as opposed to his patented 4-2-5.

"The ability to line up and play some base defense is not really been something that I've had in my tool bag," Wommack said. "We've kind of had to move and stem and all that stuff... we're in a better position right now to line up and play base technique, along with a number of other things that we're going to do a bit more."

Alabama will hold its second scrimmage on Thursday, providing the staff with one final barometer for evaluating the two groups before the start of the season. But until then, this dynamic between the offensive and defensive line remains one of the more fascinating undercurrents of fall camp.

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