Offensive Line Starters
Three of the offensive line starters are locks and two of them, Brad Bozeman and Jonah Williams are two of the best offensive linemen in the nation.
Center – Bradley Bozeman
Bozeman’s backup will probably be J.C. Hassenauer.
Left Guard – Ross Pierschbacher
Backup is likely to be Dallas Warmack.
Left Tackle – Jonah Williams
Jonah Williams’ backup is currently Alex Leatherwood. True freshman, Leatherwood is a big physical player who until the last few practices had been competing for the left tackle slot. He could still flip back to the right side at any time.
Right Guard – Lester Cotton
The backup for Lester Cotton is Deonte Brown. That is if Brown can shed enough bad weight. Brown has dropped weight this summer. How much has been shed of his previous 350 pounds is not known. Brown is one of the strongest players on the team and could be a tremendous run blocker.
Right Tackle – TBD
Matt Womack has the best chance for this starting role. The staff is currently most comfortable with Womack compared to the less experienced options of Scott Lashley and Jedrick Wills.
Even though he was a late enrollee, Jedrick Wills has a chance to seize this position. In the second fall camp scrimmage, Wills got almost as much time with the first group as Matt Womack.
The issue with the young tackles is pass protection. Who they are blocking in practice is also an issue. The Tide’s outside rushers have been feasting on Womack, Leatherwood, Lashley and Wills. To keep that problem in perspective, Jonah Williams will be an NFL first-rounder. Williams has his hands full with the Tide outside rushers also.
Starter, Tight End – H-back – Miller Forristall
Irv Smith will see plenty of action as the backup. Smith has impressed coaches and insiders during the spring and fall.
Starter, Tight End – Hale Hentges
Backup true freshman Major Tennison has emerged, drawing praise from Saban and comparison to O. J. Howard.