Alabama Football: Position group review, interior offensive line

For Alabama football, the starting tackles are set but questions remain in the interior of the Crimson Tide offensive line.

This is the second post in our series of position group reviews heading into the Alabama football fall camp. We first profiled the defensive line.

Instead of reviewing the entire offensive line position group, this post focuses attention on the center and guard positions. There is no mystery who the starting tackles will be. Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills are arguably the best pair of tackles in college football.

The interior group also has stability at right guard with senior Matt Womack expected to start. Womack is best suited for the guard position and will likely have the best season of his Crimson Tide career.

What’s left is center and left guard. Much like Womack, Deonte Brown would have right guard locked down if not for the suspension making him ineligible for the season’s first four games. Insiders speculate Brown is doing everything required by Nick Saban to work his way back to the starting lineup. Alabama football fans will look forward to improved run-blocking once Brown returns.

There are several options of who will win the early, starting role at left guard. The options are graduate transfer, Landon Dickerson; redshirt freshman, Emil Ekiyor; redshirt junior, Chris Owens and true freshman, Evan Neal. The first three may also compete at center, where Owens has been expected to inherit the starting role.

Neal could present something of a quandary for Alabama football offensive line coach, Kyle Flood. The young man has a huge upside. Most Alabama football fans believe he will be a starting tackle next season, following NFL departures by Wills and Leatherwood. Flood may prefer to work him at tackle this season, giving the two-deep a solid replacement in case of an injury to Alex or Jedrick.

Coaches don’t much care to mix and match offensive line pieces. Normally the unit should be settled before the first game week of the season. Alabama football has the option of being more patient. Don’t be surprised if all four of the guys listed above get first-unit snaps during the first two games of the season.

Deonte Brown should also be prepared for having to re-win his job after the Southern Miss game. Nick Saban will make him earn his job back and Brown might not start in week five against Ole Miss.

Make sure to check in with Bama Hammer for our soon to be presented projected Fall Camp Depth Chart. Oh wait, make that an organizational chart.