Alabama Football: Post-Spring Depth Chart, including summer enrollees

TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 13: Fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide watch play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs November 13, 2010 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 13: Fans of the Alabama Crimson Tide watch play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs November 13, 2010 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /
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Alabama football offensive line
Alabama football offensive line /

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Offensive Line

The big story going into spring practice was the Alabama football secondary would be a ‘work in progress’ in 2018. The same can be said of the 2018 offensive line. Having to replace Brad Bozeman was always going to be a tall order. When Matt Womack’s injury sidelined him for spring, the line became very unsettled.

Many players have had turns working with the first unit in practice. Those experiments will continue in the fall but after the first fall scrimmage, Nick Saban will want a starting unit to assert itself.

A-Day reviews of the offensive line were mixed. Clearly, pass protection was an issue. The Alabama football defensive front will make a lot of offensive lines look bad in 2018. The Tide’s first real fall test may not come before November unless Jimbo Fisher manages some miraculous development at TAMU. The Crimson Tide first unit offensive line did pretty well in run blocking during A-Day. They will be better in the fall.

Center

Starter: Ross Piersbacher

Backup: Brandon Kennedy

Piersbacher is a smart player who handles his assignments without being a physically dominating player. Kennedy is a redshirt junior, who missed most of his sophomore season with a broken leg. Chris Owens could also move into a backup center role. The much-rumored move of Jonah Williams to center seems to be dead.

Guard

Starters: Lester Cotton and Jedrick Wills

Backups: Josh Casher and Deonte Brown

Lester Cotton will probably settle in at left guard. Jedrick Wills can play tackle but has worked at guard most of the spring. Wills and Cotton are tough, physical players and combined can make the guard position stronger for 2018.

Tackle

Starters:  Jonah Williams and Matt Womack or Alex Leatherwood

Backup: Scott Lashley

If picking a short-list of the most physical Alabama football offensive linemen, Alex Leatherwood, Jedrick Wills, Lester Cotton and Jonah Williams would make the list. Fan often say, add a center with those four players and Nick Saban could field his five best on the offensive line. Matt Womack confounds that approach by hard work and attention to detail. Alabama football will be in good shape at tackle in 2018 with either Womack or Leatherwood at right tackle.