Alabama Football: Tide in pads Friday with a new running back

Alabama football was back at work Friday afternoon in full pads on a warm and sunny Tuscaloosa afternoon. Spring practice No. 4 showed some player movement.

As Alabama football fans we are attuned to look for clues to new information at every opportunity. The clues after four practice sessions might just be hints, both real and imagined. All we have to go on until spring scrimmages are positional groupings observed in drills.

Nick Saban calls them organizational groupings. But in many cases, the organizational groupings show the current pecking order with some units and positions.

Consistent this spring, the ‘first’ unit offensive line is, left to right, Alex Leatherwood at left tackle, Emil Ekiyor at left guard, Chris Owens at center, Matt Womack at right guard and Jedrick Wills at right tackle. The ‘second’ unit is, left to right, Scott Lashley, Evan Neal, Hunter Brannon, Deonte Brown and Tommy Brown.

Among the 10 are six upperclassmen, one redshirt sophomore in Hunter Brannon, two redshirt freshmen in Tommy Brown and Emil Ekiyor and a true freshman in Evan Neal. Short of injury, Wills and Leatherwood are locks to start. Matt Womack may not be far behind. But there is real competition for the other two positions, especially at left guard. If Ekiyor does not displace Owens at center, three guys will battle to win the starting left guard slot; Ekiyor, Neal and Deonte Brown (after his four-game suspension.) Or Brown will stay at right guard and push Womack.

Such competition will be fun for fans to follow and it will make the eventual, real first unit stronger.

Again based on organizational groupings in drills, the depth at safety is Xavier McKinney and Jared Mayden, followed by Daniel Wright and Eddie Smith.

In position moves, Cameron Latu was with the tight ends for the fourth practice. That could still be a Saban experiment or it could become a new home for Latu in 2019. For the first time in the media viewing period, Chadarius Townsend was seen working at running back. Saban commented Wednesday on Townsend showing some promise at running back. He was dual-threat QB in high school who showcased plenty of talent to be a running back.

Terrell Lewis was not spotted at practice Friday. Saban said on Wednesday some of the guys coming off injury would get lighter work this spring. A healthy Terrell Lewis is far more important than a full schedule of spring practices for the linebacker. Shyheim Carter is still recovering also, from a sports hernia repair.

For those Alabama football fans still concerned, Ale Kaho practiced on Friday. He did drills from the back of the inside linebacker line. The Crimson Tide will practice next on Saturday afternoon.