The Alabama Crimson Tide's bottleneck was identified long ago. This year's team may have a lot of talent, but it will only go as far as the ground game and quarterback play will take them. Of course, both of these positions are contingent on the offensive line improving in a hurry. Alabama's new-look offensive line could feature upwards of six transfers coming in, including swing tackle Jayvin James.
CBS Sports' Chris Hummer wrote James is among Alabama's most important portal pickups, along with Texas transfer Nick Brooks. He believes James can be the one player who could swing Alabama's playoff hopes. The redshirt junior just came over from Mississippi State. He is expected to compete with redshirt freshman Jackson Lloyd for the starting left tackle position vacated by Kadyn Proctor.
James' ability to play both tackle spots, as well as his SEC experience at Mississippi State stand out.
"With only one o-line starter returning, the new-look unit, which could include as many as three transfers, needs to be better," Hummer wrote. "James could be the swing player for the o-line. He has starting left tackle experience in the SEC, having played 855 snaps for Mississippi State last year."
James' 855 snaps last year at Mississippi State will come in handy for this year's Alabama team. Experience and steadiness up front will go a long way for this group. With Kalen DeBoer and his offense ushering in yet another new starting quarterback, having the right pieces in front of him remains paramount. Because of his versatility, James' value is more than merely SEC experience.
It is about getting the right five guys working together, but Alabama must hope James is one of them.
Jayvin James might be Alabama's most important offensive lineman
While DeBoer will surely make the right call at quarterback between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, he really needs for his offensive line to come together this year. Mack and Russell's mobility could offset some of the front-five's biggest issues, but not all of them. Plus, the Crimson Tide really need to see if five-star running back EJ Crowell can be the boost they desperately need in their backfield.
But again, for any of this and all this to happen, the offensive line needs to play up to Alabama's lofty standard. It has lost its way a bit under DeBoer, but that could change in a heartbeat. It is all about having the five players working together in unison. Whether he is playing left tackle or right, it is hard to imagine James not being one of them. If he is the first guy off the bench, then that is still valuable.
Simply put, Hummer hit the nail right on the head in his evaluation of James' importance. Not all transfer portal pickups are the same. For this to work out at Alabama, James needs to be a reason why Alabama wins. His contributions may not show up on the stat sheet, but the impact could surely be there. He has the power to alleviate the pain of the loathsome burden that is Alabama's line play.
Ultimately, even if James plays at a higher level than he did at Mississippi State, he alone is not going to rectify every issue Alabama has in the trenches. It is why other transfers such as Brooks need to step up, as well as holdovers like Lloyd. In short, Alabama needs to be more physical and nastier in the running game. Picking up players from other SEC teams can help Alabama get back to standard.
Right now, it is a lot of pressure being placed on James, but that comes with the Tuscaloosa territory.
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