All eyes were on Alabama's offensive line in the season-opener against East Carolina. It didn't have to be perfect, but tangible signs of progress needed to be obvious for the Crimson Tide.
Mission accomplished.
There's plenty to clean up, but also plenty to build upon. Some fans might disagree with categorizing the offensive line as solid or better, but it's the truth. That might be even underselling it. Per the Pro Football Network, three of Alabama's five starters earned high marks against ECU.
Jackson Lloyd earned a 91.1 grade, which ranked him third among left tackles.
Michael Carroll earned an 89.4 grade, which was the highest among right guards.
Jayvin James earned an 85.7 grade, which finished sixth among qualified right tackles.
Michael Carroll, Jackson Lloyd, and Jayvin James graded out well vs. ECU
Carroll and James grading out highly isn't a surprise if you watched the game. They worked expertly in tandem, and the right side of the Crimson Tide's offensive line certainly looked to be the strong point. Carroll looks like a potential All-American as a sophomore, and James acquitted himself nicely in his Alabama debut.
It was the blocks of Carroll and James in conjunction that opened the hole on Trae'shawn Brown's long touchdown run that was called back for a questionable hold on Racin Delgatty.
James was still battling Texas transfer Nick Brooks late in camp, and there was some concern that right tackle would be the weak spot for Alabama. But at least for one game, James handled his business, though tougher tests await down the line.
Lloyd garnered some criticism from fans on social media, but that mostly came from a place of just not knowing what they were looking at. Lloyd played well, especially for it being his first start.
Things weren't as smooth at center or left guard. Delgatty got backed off his spot a few too many times, especially early, but he settled in as the game went on. Will Sanders struggled mightily early in the game, and he was ultimately removed and replaced by sophomore Mal Waldrep. Waldrep ended up playing 44 snaps to just 30 for Sanders. That competition appears to be ongoing.
But there's obvious reason for optimism after Week 1. There's reason to believe that Alabama made a significant improvement on the offensive line from where they were a season ago. And they should only get better. It takes time for offensive lines to gel together. The only way it happens is with real, live reps. So the more experience they get playing together, the better they should function as a unit.
And it was obvious from the opener that the extensive shuffling we saw last season won't be the case this year, barring injuries. Alabama is going to be consistent with the guys playing. There's still competition to work out at left guard. It wouldn't be a surprise if Waldrep ends up getting the start next week in Lexington.
Alabama will face a much stiffer challenge against Kentucky. The little mistakes they got away with against ECU could really cost them in Lexington.
But for the first time in a while, there's legitimate optimism of brighter days up front.
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