Fall camp starts soon and Alabama football fans want answers to six important, team questions before the start of Louisville game week.
Alabama football fans have questions and the answers will not come soon enough. We’ll leave the ongoing starting QB question to Nick Saban and his staff. There are other issues that will have an impact of success in the 2018 season. In a three-part series, we will review six more, also important questions.
The six questions are: which three linebackers will backup Moses and Wilson; will the new secondary have dependable backups; who replaces Da’Ron Payne to anchor the interior defensive line; which three wideouts rotate with Jeudy, Smith and Ruggs III; who starts on the offensive line among Womack, Cotton and Leatherwood; and can a new dual-kicker pair be counted on for pressure field goals.
Obviously, that is a bunch of questions for one post. We will take them on two-at-a-time in three days of posts. Our first post discussed the backups at ILB and who replaces Da’Ron Payne.
Who starts and who is ready to step in when needed on the offensive line?
The main question with the Big Uglies is who becomes the odd man out among Lester Cotton, Matt Womack and Alex Leatherwood. Cotton appears settled at the left guard spot, made available by the move of Ross Piersbacher to center. Cotton has long had the physical tools to be a dominating player. Insiders believe he has put some past assignment inconsistency behind him.
On the right, we believe Jedrick Wills will start at right guard. Right tackle will be last year’s starter, Matt Womack or Alex Leatherwood. Leatherwood has trimmed down from last season. Now at 304 pounds, he will hopefully be a little quicker handling edge rushers. Like Leatherwood, Matt Womack is a run game mauler.
As we discussed last month, don’t underestimate Womack. He gave up some QB pressures last season but he graded very well throughout the season. We believe his experience and the confidence that goes with it will be the edge to earn the starting role.
Alex Leatherwood will be ready to step in at either tackle position when needed. The offensive line is not a position group that rotates but even if Womack starts, Leatherwood will see game action with the first group.
Perhaps the most pressing issue for the o-line is who becomes the backup at center. Brandon Kennedy was to be that guy until his transfer to Tennessee. Redshirt sophomore Chris Owens appears to be the next choice if Piersbacher goes down.
Other players in the two-deep could be Scott Lashley, Josh Casher, Richie Petitbone and a somewhat trimmed down Deonte Brown. True freshman Emil Ekiyor is expected to be the center of the future. His starting weight as a Tider is 342 pounds and Emil will need some body shaping and nutritional assistance to attain a playing weight.
Who makes the playing rotation at wide receiver?
Alabama football is set at starting wide receiver with the trio of super sophomores, Jeudy, Smith and Ruggs III. Even with the loss of Calvin Ridley, the 2018 wideout group could be better than the 2017 group.
The new wide receiver group is not getting much respect nationally. There is widespread belief the WR groups at Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina are better than the Alabama football group. CFB expert Phil Steele has the Tide wideouts ranked behind all those SEC teams, as well as 13 other teams, including Louisville. The lack of preseason fanfare will be strong motivation for the new Crimson Tide starters.
Another three or four Tide wideouts will participate in regular rotation. One of those guys will surely be true freshman, Jaylen Waddle. Waddle is small, but he is fast and quick. He will play slot receiver. Alabama football fans will come to love him quickly.
The fifth wideout in the rotation is likely to be redshirt freshman Tyrell Shavers. Shavers at 6-foot-6 is a matchup problem for opposing defensive backs. Redshirt senior Derek Keif may finally see regular playing time. Senior Xavian Marks will probably start the season in the two-deep. The potential for the biggest surprise at wideout in 2018 is redshirt freshman, Chadarius Townsend. Townsend was a high school QB and he knows how to make plays with the ball in his hands.
Next: 25 Greatest Games in Saban Era
Check in with is us tomorrow for part 3 of this series. We will discuss the potential key backups in the new secondary and discuss the new two-kicker plan for field goals.