Alabama Football: Success In 2017 Depends On The Defensive Line

Josh Frazier – Defensive Tackle – 6′ 4″ 315 lbs. – 2017 Senior

Josh Frazier played in twelve games during his freshman and sophomore seasons. Last season he competed in 14 games and was credited with eight tackles.

Frazier is a capable player who should see increased action in 2017. Alabama football needs a bigger contribution from Frazier to allow rotation of the Tide’s big bodies. Expect Frazier to become the fifth, sixth or seventh player in the Tide’s defensive line rotation.

Raekwon Davis – Defensive Line – 6′ 7″ 320 lbs. – 2017 Sophomore

Coming out of high school Davis was a highly rated 4-Star recruit. 247 Sports Composite Rankings listed Davis as the No. 84 overall player in the nation.

It will be very interesting to see an updated weight for Kwon. I have seen estimates that he is now in the 335 lb. range. Playing defensive tackle at 6′ 7″ is a challenge. More specifically it is a pad level issue where shorter offensive linemen gain an advantage against Davis.

Davis only saw action in seven games as a freshman and was credited with four tackles. According to various practice reports in 2016, Davis was a long way from becoming a polished player.

Here are some highlights of Raekwon at the U.S. Army All-Star game:

It is easy to get excited about Raekwon Davis’ potential. He is needed for the defensive rotation in 2017.