Ryan Grubb: OL Michael Carroll 'Very Close' to Being Every-Down Player

The Crimson Tide freshman has been splitting time with Tuscaloosa native Wilkin Formby at right tackle.

Michael Carroll (64) against Wisconsin. | Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Freshman Alabama offensive lineman Michael Carroll, who's been a regular fixture at right tackle so far this season, has been making strides with his development in such a way that the prospect of a bigger presence is looming for him.

Local product Wilkin Formby is the current starter at right tackle, but as the No. 6 Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 SEC) continues to experiment with different personnel combinations along the offensive line, Formby has increasingly been moved to right guard when sharing the field with his counterpart Carroll.

"When the game's moving fast, he's [Carroll] just gotta be able to do the same," offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Monday. "There was one pressure pickup that Michael M.A.'d on in the game... He was immediately able to articulate what should have happened in the play. And the growth that you can see from a young player like that just proves to me that he is very close to being able to be an every-down guy here."

Ty Simpson has been sacked four times in each of the Crimson Tide's past two games. That's not an overly sustainable statistic regardless of which five players are involved up front on a given play or series. Carroll may be young, but he has held his own during the reps he's gotten.

The flexibility the team has had in recent weeks to be able to place both Carroll and Formby on the gridiron at the same time was partly made possible by the recent absence of Jaeden Roberts at guard. Roberts played at Missouri on Saturday after not appearing in Alabama's win against Vanderbilt.

"It's competitive right now at those positions. It's more than just his," head coach Kalen DeBoer said of Roberts on Oct. 6. "Guys are competing in practice."

Grubb didn't outright say that Carroll has usurped Formby at the tackle spot on the right side. Rather, he spoke Monday about the areas in which both players can improve. Formby has the benefit of prior college experience; he's gone through the learning curve, but Grubb said after the team's win over ULM on Sept. 6 that there was competition at the position.

"Consistency is the biggest thing for both of them," Grubb said Monday. "Whether it’s Michael having a full grasp of the offense or Wilkin executing at his highest capability, we just gotta have better consistency at that spot."