Alabama Football: Some summer enrollees could vault up the depth chart

Summer enrollees have a mountain to claim in an Alabama football depth chart, but a handful could populate the two-deep at the end of fall camp.

Fifteen members of the 2019 Alabama football signing class got a winter head start by enrolling early. A dozen of their classmates will have joined them in Tuscaloosa with a day or two of Memorial Day. Exact arrival dates are impacted by some late graduations.

The 15 got a big boost by going through the fourth quarter program and spring training. Some of them have a good opportunity to be in a Crimson Tide two-deep by the end of fall camp. A couple might earn starting roles.

The 12 come in behind, needing to quickly acclimate to college life and with much football knowledge to absorb in a limited amount of time. Most important for the summer group is their physical condition when they arrive in Tuscaloosa. All of them have had nutrition and weight directives for months. Summer workouts will soon reveal if they are close to being physically ready to contribute as freshmen.

Based on little more than broad speculation, let’s look at true freshmen with a two-deep chance by the end of fall camp. Special-teams roles other than kicker are not included.

Alabama Football Early Enrollees

Possible First Team Chances

• Will Reichard is positioned to be the starting field goal kicker by the week of the Duke game.
• Based on spring performance, D. J. Dale has a shot to start at nose with the first team defense and an excellent opportunity to be in the two-deep rotation.

Possible Two-Deep Chances

• John Metchie could work his way into the top six at wide receiver. If Chadarius Townsend remains at running back, there will only be eight scholarship wide receivers. Metchie would only have to pass one of Tyrell Shavers, Slade Bolden or Xavier Williams.
• If there is a depth chart hidden away by Nick Saban, Evan Neal is probably already on it as a second-team guard.
• Shane Lee had an impressive spring at inside linebacker. He has a good chance to make the two-deep by the end of fall camp.
• It would be unfair to rule out the next group as having some two-deep chance: Taulia Tagivailoa; Darrian Dalcourt; Justin Eboigbe and Antonio Alfano.

Alabama Football Summer Enrollees

Predicting quick success probability for a summer enrollee is little more than guessing. Our best guesses below are a mixture of recruiting profiles, positions of need and position learning-curve difficulty.

• Much is expected of Byron Young to become an impact defensive lineman.
• Ishmael Sopsher also carries high expectations if any body-reshaping is not required first.
• Trey Sanders plays a position where a freshman has a little less to learn, but beating out Najee Harris or Brian Robinson is a tough task.
• Jahleel Billingsley has a two-deep chance with Kedrick James out early from a suspension and a  tight end roster that is not deep.
• Demarcco Hellams comes in at safety where solid depth is needed quickly. If he picks up the defense well enough to not be a liability, he has a two-deep chance. It is a tough position to impact as a freshman, and his two-deep chances are far greater in the second half of the season.
• Fitting the ‘unfair to count them out’ roles are Braylen Ingraham and Christian Harris. For any early two-deep shots, this pair will have to shine in fall scrimmages.

That is a large group of young guys with possible chances for significant early playing time. One reason so many can be considered is Alabama football will be a young team in 2019. Quite a few guys ahead of the true freshman don’t have much playing experience.

At the risk of over-simplifying, two fall scrimmages will be as big for the freshmen as any early season game opportunity. They will step up, or for a time at least, be bypassed by guys ready to contribute in 2019.