Talking season has come and gone, and Week 1 is just 31 days away. Alabama opens its first training camp under Kalen DeBoer at 9:05 a.m. Wednesday. That’s a shift from the late afternoon practices under Nick Saban, one of many changes that have come under the DeBoer regime.
“I think morning practices will help,” offensive lineman Tyler Booker said. “Practice in the morning, go to class and then in the afternoon we will have time to recover, get ready for the next day, watch film, meet with our coaches, etc. It’s more time on the back end of the day because when we had afternoon practice, you only had so much time.”
Last year’s fall camp was consumed by a quarterback competition eventually won by Jalen Milroe. This fall doesn’t have a battle with as much attention, but there’s no shortage of storylines that will shape Alabama’s season. This fall camp primer examines 10 players that Alabama needs to have a strong showing, many of whom are locked in position battles and/or can make a significant impact if they take a step forward.
Not much has changed from the early summer depth chart prediction.
It’s hard to start any list of most important players for the 2024 season without having Proctor at or near the top. His re-addition to the team was one of the offseason’s biggest developments, and Alabama will need the best version of him this fall.
Proctor’s journey has been well documented, and in many ways it was a humbling experience. It takes a certain level of humility to leave as he did, return to stand before the team and vow to work his way back. He spent the summer period working with the second unit, sometimes rotating with the first team, and has been working hard in the weight room, as evidenced by a recent photo that showed a slimmed down Proctor.
Alabama OL Kadyn Proctor looks like he has slim down for year 2. pic.twitter.com/wuwwvAOEpq
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) July 25, 2024
In August, expect Proctor to be firmly with the first unit again, but it’s notable that he wasn’t automatically given starter treatment upon his return. Readjusting to padded practices after nearly six months away from live reps will take work, but a more motivated, more experienced Proctor who’s in better shape could set up for a big second season.
DL Jehiem Oatis
Oatis was a prime breakout candidate last season after a strong freshman campaign, but injuries slowed him down in the fall and sidelined him for most of spring practice. When healthy, he is a game-changing force in the middle. Alabama just needs that version of him consistently.
The silver lining of his absence is that other players emerged: Tim Keenan III is a preseason All-SEC selection, while Damon Payne Jr., James Smith and others were able to develop as depth pieces. A healthy Oatis would elevate a strong defensive line to another level.
The Crimson Tide’s previous two-gap scheme called for interior defensive linemen to occupy multiple gaps and linemen at once. In new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s one-gap system, look for players like Oatis to get upfield more and have more one-on-one opportunities.
Between Keenan, Oatis and veteran Tim Smith, the will be fierce competition for starting honors on the interior, though all three will play significant snaps this fall. A healthy, fresh Oatis would go a long way toward stabilizing the front seven that needs to be elite to offset concerns in the secondary.
The Pulse Newsletter
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
WR Emmanuel Henderson
Several receivers could’ve been selected here, but Henderson gets the nod. Germie Bernard, Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law are certain to have big roles in the passing game, and despite his age, the buzz around freshman Ryan Williams has become too big to ignore, so he figures to have a rotation spot as well. The rest of the receiver rotation is a mystery, and that’s where Henderson can make a move.
Alabama’s in search of a consistent vertical threat in this offense, and Henderson is regarded as one of the fastest players on the team. DeBoer’s offense, which heavily incorporates short and quick passes, should allow Henderson to catch the ball in space and make plays.
Year 👌🏾 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/G7iwqdkuaN
— emmanuel henderson (@emmanuelhende17) June 19, 2024
It’s been a slow grind for Henderson, the former five-star running back who converted to wide receiver. His frame looks to have filled out some entering his junior year, and position coach JaMarcus Shephard has been impressed.
“This young man’s growth to me has been the one that has stuck out the most,” Shephard said. “He really seems to be taking this opportunity and running with it.”
DB DeVonta Smith
As with Oatis, it seemed like Smith’s breakout opportunity was coming in 2023 before a foot injury sidelined him for nearly the entire season and he remained limited in spring practice. He was healthy enough to play during A-Day and earned the majority of the first-team Husky (called “Star” in the previous system) snaps. Now he carries that momentum into fall camp.
“I’m excited about Smitty,” Wommack said. “I think he can cover. He’s a big frame, 200-plus pounds, and I think he can process and make checks and adjustments. That Husky position is so critical to what we do because we ask a lot out of that player, and I think Smitty has that.”
His health this August is critical as the defensive back group is one of the roster’s biggest question marks. The next person in line is true freshman Red Morgan, who has impressed. But Smith’s experience as a senior is in that spot is the preferred option for the first-team unit. He could create a strong trio with Malachi Moore and Keon Sabb.
Offensive tackle will be one of the premier battles during fall camp, with Proctor’s return compounding the intriguing surrounding a three-man rotation at first-team tackle in the spring of Elijah Pritchett, Miles McVay and Formby. The second-year tackle started to ascend toward the end of spring practice and concluded it with a very strong A-Day performance. Formby was also instrumental in bringing Proctor back to Alabama. He’s starting to emerge as a respected player in the locker room; the next step is consistently playing on the field.
In all likelihood, it will be Formby and Pritchett battling for that right tackle spot. If there is an advantage for Formby over the older Pritchett, it’s that he manned that right side throughout spring practice. From a technical standpoint, he’s been sound from the beginning. The key for him this fall will be matching it with confidence in his assignments which will translate to strong blocks.
“He’s really starting to grasp and understand the offense, which is good,” offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said. “Once you’re not sitting there thinking too much (and) just kind of turn it loose, that’ll be huge for him.”
Even if Formby doesn’t emerge from August as the starter, his development as the next man up at either tackle spot is going to be critical. Starter-level play from Formby would bolster the depth of an O-line group that really needs it.
GO DEEPER
Ryan Williams’ coach and teammates praise him at SEC media days
The best way to mitigate those concerns in the secondary? Pressure the quarterback. The Wolf (outside linebacker) position is unsettled entering fall camp, and Koht is a leading candidate for the role. He’s one of the best athletes on defense, and as spring practice progressed, he started to pair that athleticism with confidence in his assignments. The closeness of this battle between he and senior Quandarrius Robinson is illustrated in the first- team A-Day snap count: Robinson played 14 of 28 reps, while Koht played 12 of 28.
This was a critical summer for Koht to continue learning the nuances of the defense to make a push during fall camp. The Wolf position is going to require pass rush ability, run defense and dropping in coverage — all of which Koht has flashed at various times. He will need to show consistency to separate himself.
Robinson will likely get the nod to start, but Koht is pushing hard for snaps. Wommack’s defense is built on pressure, which leads to turnovers. With Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell off to the NFL, Alabama needs an edge defender to emerge. Koht unlocking his athletic potential in August would be a huge step to replacing their production.
Brailsford wasn’t as highly rated of a recruit as Proctor, but he will likely be the most impactful transfer for Alabama this season. The interior combination of Brailsford at center between Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts should be among the best in college football this year. Brailsford’s return after a long spring absence was a major preseason win for Alabama; a full fall camp with Brailsford manning the middle will help stabilize the Tide O-line.
After issues at center plagued Alabama in 2023, capped off by Seth McLaughlin’s tough day in the Rose Bowl, inserting an All-America candidate with institutional knowledge of the new system is about as good an upgrade as the program could’ve received. Brailsford’s ability isn’t in question. Alabama just needs him available throughout camp to continue asserting himself as a leader alongside Booker.
DB Zabien Brown
Brown’s rise from early enrollee to Day 1 starter was a leading storyline in spring practice. The silver lining of the attrition at defensive back is that he was able to develop more quickly than a normal spring practice with the reserves would have allowed. But Alabama needed experience at cornerback and added junior transfer DaShawn Jones from Wake Forest. Now Brown and Jones will battle for a starting spot opposite Domani Jackson. No matter who wins that battle, Alabama needs Brown to continue developing at his current trajectory.
If last season is any indication, Alabama will need multiple reserve defensive backs to play a role — remember how impactful Trey Amos was as a third cornerback. Brown will need to be starter-ready by the end of fall camp, whether he is the outright starter or playing a rotational role.
Behind Jones and Jackson, every other cornerback on the roster is a true or redshirt freshman. Brown is the leader of that group, as shown by his workload with the first unit, and how he builds off of his spring practice performance will be one of the top things to watch in the next month.
QB Jalen Milroe
It was never in doubt that Milroe would be the starting quarterback. Now a year older and more confident, he’ll need to push the new Alabama offense forward this fall.
It’s another season of change for Milroe, now on his third offensive coordinator in three years. The spring and summer have been geared toward learning the concepts, terminology and nuances of the new offense. In fall camp, Milroe will need to consistently get the offense into and out of plays with fluidity. DeBoer’s offense will call for more quick passes and decision making than last year’s offense, and Milroe’s processing and internal clock in the pocket will need to rise to the challenge.
By all accounts, Milroe has taken steps forward as a player and leader in the months following the season, particularly after Saban’s retirement. A year removed from a highly publicized QB battle, Milroe feels like he’s in a position to break out.
“The adversity aspect of it, it’s much needed,” Milroe said this month. “I don’t shy away from adversity. That’s a great opportunity to get better as a player mentally and physically and use it as an opportunity to grow. I can say that I have the right support system around me. Each offensive staff member has been great, Coach DeBoer is very confident in me and our offense to go out and play to our standard. So I’d say, this has been a great journey that has allowed me to grow as a player.”
GO DEEPER
Alabama’s transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer has gone smoothly: Fan survey results
A number of defensive players could have taken this last spot, but Lawson gets the nod as his leadership in Wommack’s first year will be crucial. His first year as a full-time starter last season saw his emergence as a top-shelf linebacker, but injuries held back his full potential. He was healthy throughout spring practice and appears ready to continue that momentum into 2024.
Playing behind a defensive line as deep as this year’s group will free Lawson up to make plays at the second level. He’s already a high-level blitzer, which will be an asset in Wommack’s defense; becoming more confident in play recognition and improving when dropping back into coverage will take Lawson’s game to the next level.
The Alabama defense lost its core leadership from last year in players like Braswell, Turner, Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry. Lawson is one of a few players on that side of the ball tasked with assuming that leadership void. Taking that next step from very good to elite second-level defender will help offset the losses and changes that the defense has endured this offseason.
(Photo of Kadyn Proctor: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)
Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5667904/2024/07/30/alabama-crimson-tide-camp-preview/
Author :
Publish date : 2024-07-30 08:57:35
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.