This will be fun…
LAST YEAR RECAP
When the moon and stars align, things happen. They did for Bama's OL for the most part and they were a more dominant force than they had been in a long time. Credit the new OC for making the style fit their strengths more and using more motion to get the H Back in the lead block position along with gearing down to run more and create with play action more. The results were a near 5 yard per carry and 32 minute average TOP, both usually mean the good guys win. The OL was anchored by 2 NFL caliber players and got yeomen work from the other 3 for the most part, but they fell flat in the bowl game as suspensions, injuries, and just flat out lack of depth/talent caught up to them.
THIS OFFSEASON
Who is back?
Drew Davis. Drew grayshirted and then redshirted, so he’s out of shirts to wear. He won the RT starting job in the spring of 2008 and held the job through the year. Davis is a guy that is a good tackle, but he's not going to be a guy that gets a lot of looks at the next level. When he keeps his fundamentals in mind and sets his feet and drives through defenders, he's an SEC caliber lineman, but when he gets more worried about just being in front of a defender and less on his technique, his game is troubling. They are going to have to lean on him and I hope that after a year of play and now getting to apply what he saw to what the coaches say, it will improve by leaps and bounds. He isn't in danger of losing his job any time soon and if he gets hurt, they are in trouble, but they can't rely on him like they did Smith and others to be the driver and lane maker that they need.
Mike Johnson. This guy is a workout machine. He was the starting RT in 07 and did ok, but for all the power he has, his footwork leaves something to be desired. So he moved back to a natural position LG and is where he needs to be. Johnson is a north south blocker that really just overwhelms the defender with his size and power. The staff is leaning on him and if he's barking in practice, he's taken the role of leader to fill the spot of AC. That probably is most important to me.
Taylor Pharr- At some point, the light will come on, just hope it isn't the exit sign.
David Ross. David is another center/guard that at 6-4 295, and he was the utility lineman/ first reserve last year. As the talent has improved from last summer to now, his name has drifted a bit. The linemen are getting bigger than him and he probably is going to be the backup center in the end.
William Vlachos- Auburn fans make fun of his size, but he's a center, centers don't have to be 6-6. He has a low center of gravity and is very strong and uses his weight to his advantage when he gets in the pads of a tackle or end. His snaps are fair, during the MSU game his snaps were low and McElroy was fishing for the ball some times. He just needs to keep the chemistry with McElroy and keep him from having to spend more time on the snap catching because they will give up some sacks this fall. I think he's solid, he's not AC, but then again AC wasn't AC until last year when you think bout it.
John Michael Boswell. Boswell is one of my favorites because he plays mean. He is versatile and can play guard or tackle if called upon. He probably is one of their best guards, but they have such a shortage of game ready tackles he is running 2nd on the RT list. I think the biggest surprise of the summer is that he's held off DJ Fluker for that spot.
Barrett Jones. Jones was a Rivals 100 and the top center in the nation. He also was top player out of TN in 2007. As of today, he is running first string on the RG race. Jones is different than his predecessor, Marlon Davis, in that Davis was very physical and used his size to get himself out of trouble, whereas Jones is a technical player who uses technique and skill to get by on because he is not as big as most linemen these days. He is a student and when I watched the videos of him he doesn't always have a big mean streak, but is probably one of the better pass blockers that I have seen at a high school level. The bottom line is that if he is the guy they go with, there will be a learning curve to be patient about and they won't be able to just pick up and go with him like Marlon did. He's going to make them a better pass blocker, but their run surge won't be as good for a while until he gets more adjusted to it.
Tyler Love. No lineman had more fan fare in 2007 than Tyler. He was also a Rivals 100 and a top 10 linemen coming out of high school. He is a LT by trade, but he's practiced at both sides. He is a lot like Jones in a way that he is more about technique than powering through, but he is probably a little more willing to give the defender a jab in the chest than Jones. The problem he will have that Jones won't have is that at LT or RT, the role requires more physical presence and more surge than guard does. He will be asked to clear on off tackle, sweep, counter plays and he's not physically able to do that yet, at least not in the spring anyways. He is bulking up now, finally, and probably is the biggest benefactor of Carpenter being able to handle the LT job for 2 years. It will give him more time to grow and more time to adjust to the job description or move to LG next year perhaps.
Brian Motley- He started at NT and was good there until he got hurt, but then he has bounced around to center and was starting RG in the spring game. Motley is a guy the coaches will like because he just does what he's told, but he isn't the flashiest or most sound guy at anything he does, he just knows how to use his body and waller on the other guy.
Alfred McCullough- Like Motley, he does what they ask and is good enough to play anywhere on the line and d-line. He moves really well for a guy his size and is deceptively fast with his hands. As a DE, I noticed a lot of times that he got in on veteran linemen and just gave them fits. For those wondering about his size, guys 6-2 and weigh that much usually don't move real well. They are more fire hydrants than moving targets typically, and he's not a hydrant. He does a really nice job of getting off the snap and engaging his opponent and knows how to use his lower body and hips to move the play, that comes from his defensive background and serves him well now. I like McCullough a lot and hope they can find a place to use him because he's a guy that they could run behind with out fear.
Who is gone?
Antoine Caldwell. AC started his career at guard but due to the lack of proficiency from Taylor Britt, he ended 05 at center and remained. He finished as probably one of the most athletic and versatile linemen they have ever had. His contribution will be hard to replace this year.
Evan Cardwell. Cardwell redshirted in 05 and played in spots last year. He played through a back injury, but the injury won in the end.
Marlon Davis. Davis is a guy that never got the hype that AC and Smith got, but the guy was a good football player. I think fans are realizing this now after they try to replace him.
Scott Deaton. I couldn't ID this guy if you asked me to, but it seemed like he was there for 50 years.
Andre Smith- Andre decided to take the money and run, but his play on the field pretty well said it was time. There wasn't anything else he needed to prove.
Who is new?
James Carpenter- He's a JUCO early signee. He will come in with a lot of expectations on him as the replacement for Andre Smith. Coffeyville CC has been a good root to tap for Bama in the past and the hope is the luck will continue. When you see him, he's not hard to find. Huge player who could play guard or tackle in the SEC. He is not a center by trade. Carpenter is a fit 305, doesn't look that heavy, and he took the summer to really workout more and get in SEC shape. His feet move well in pass protection, uses his hands to get inside defender and drive them off. He really is probably a better RT than LT because the speed requirement is different, but he is going to be the best option for now. His body and long wingspan make him a hard target to get around on the rush. He can't be bull rushed either. Has 3 years to play 2.
DJ Fluker- I don't know what is more scary, the fact he's the best lineman coming out of HS, or that he's still raw and the best at it. He's not real experienced at LT, and at times it shows, but he's so naturally gifted and athletic for his size, that he overcomes that. If LT doesn't work, he'd make us all forget Terrance Cody if moved to NT. Has real long arms and is fast for his size. Looks like he could add more muscle mass and not lose a lot of speed. His technique is surprisingly good for his experience level, but in the all star game, some of the speed ends got on him and his fundamentals got lost in the action. Has a lot of characteristics of Andre Smith, but hasn't got the understanding of the job like Smith did 4 years ago. If he were to pull or be used in a counter type play, he would be devastating in space. He can easily take out 2 or more defenders at times. The only area that he will struggle until coached through it is when smaller, faster, and equally strong guys (Q Groves types) get in on him. He sometimes struggles to get his hands and feet in position to take them on in time and can lose leverage even though he has the size and weight advantage. He has shown up overweight and looks overwhelmed when he gets gassed, he will redshirt if possible at this point folks.
Darius McKeller- His dad was a good one (Keith McKeller, Buffalo Bills TE in the glory days) and Darius is gifted as well. He needs more time to get ready so he's sitting it out for now.
Anthony Steen- I keep reading this guy is a "stud". He's definitely strong and has a good motor, but I wouldn't jump out on a limb with "stud". He's a guy that you want in the locker room and teammates feed off of and he'll give you a blue collar effort. The flip side is that he's not real polished or stands out when he plays. He's a natural guard on offense and could be an end or NT on defense. He fits the mold of how Bama likes their linemen to play. He's always engaging the defender and not letting them get on him. He moves well for his size and can be a good pulling guard on the run. Very raw and hasn't been coached to the level he needs to be, but part of that seems to be because he has to split duty. Small school player syndrome may be in effect. Hard to say without knowing who the teams are on video, but they are all private school teams and that gets a Schrute Buck demerit there. He will have the Internets happy because he can bench a village of Pygmies but I doubt he sees much PT for at least this year and next. After that, who knows with recruiting and player moves.
Chance Warmack- Early signee and projects at guard for the Tide. Big guy and he moves well for his weight. If his bench max is 315, he'll need some serious weight room time. A guy his size should be well ahead of that, 315 means he can't do a pushup. Getting on campus early will benefit him and give him some extra teaching time. When he plays, he plays with his hands more than his body. Likes to engage, then drive, and his size and mass makes him nearly dominate when that happens. His biggest coaching need is in footwork and how to move in line and not stride and get out of center so much. I could see him getting the business from a veteran DT if he strode left or right and the tackle got inside him. He likes the contact and likes to be physical and his motor runs every play from the videos provided. It all just needs to be pulled together and focused. He was noticeable in the spring reports, but has retreated in the Summer kind of like Chris Jackson did.
Kellen Williams- needs a lot of work on fundamentals, has the typical high school problem of getting by on raw ability thing. Has the knee injury but showed up for work this week, so who knows....
THE OFFENSIVE LINE
The Good…
Potential abounds again...
Last year it was experience, but now we are back to potential. When you read the bios, watch the videos, hear about practice, the word that really is in play is potential. Outside of Johnson, none of them have any long term PT, 3 will have 0 PT in the SEC. So, the upside is that this unit will stay a majority for a little while. The reserves have played in some games and there is a lot of optimism about Fluker when he sheds the summer bulge.
Johnson's leadership
I am big on vocal leaders in the huddle, not on the sidelines at practice, in the huddle. Johnson seems to have learned from his leaders how to do it, and I expect when the time comes and things are bad, he's there pulling the 10 with him.
Schedule friendly growth
The good news is after Va Tech, they get a few weeks where they can depth build and grow. They need to dedicate to building a true 2 deep line that has PT and has been tested to know what they have and get them ready when it is their turn.
The Bad...
Not a lot of experience.
Johnson is tested, Davis has a season in his belt but there isn't really anything to staple to how they will do in the primetime for the rest.
Instability
Right now, they have a lock on 4 out of 5, which is good, but they really need to dedicate to the 5th guy (Jones I guess) and let the guys start learning each other and start letting them become a unit.
The Ugly…
If this unit is like the typical OL unit...
The hit parade usually comes a long and the starting five changes at random as the staff tries in mid stream to find a guy that can do the job. Before you say, well Saban won't...go watch the Sugar Bowl again.
What the experts think….
Lindy’s
Lindy’s has them 5th and mentions the loss of 3 starters. They have Johnson 2nd team All American. They overshot on Fluker and had him at starter. They mention the 2 worst offensive outings were games Smith missed.
Athlon’s
They rank the unit 4th. They too mention the need to jell and get the RG spot solved to help the running game.
Depth Chart
Center- Vlachos / Ross
Right Guard- Jones / McCullough / Motley
Left Guard- Johnson / Boswell / Warmack
Right Tackle- D Davis / Boswell / Fluker
Left Tackle- Carpenter / Love / Fluker
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