Alabama Football Post-Spring Depth Chart Predictions: Offensive Line
After a couple years of subpar offensive line play, Alabama expects to be much improved up front in 2024. The Crimson Tide’s transfer portal class was headlined by two likely starters on the line in left tackle Kadyn Proctor and center Parker Brailsford. Another portal addition, Geno VanDeMark, should provide the Tide with quality depth.
With these additions in the fold, Alabama will have a solid and fairly experienced top-6 on its offensive line, but will have to rely on unproven commodities beyond that.
Left Tackle
1. Kadyn Proctor (Sophomore)
2. Wilkin Formby (Redshirt Freshman)
3. Olaus Alinen (Redshirt Freshman)
Proctor figures to retake his position at left tackle after starting every game as a true freshman in 2023. The former 5-star should now be on the downhill portion of the proverbial learning curve, and has the ceiling to be one of the top tackles and pro prospects in college football.
Formby and Alinen were also class of 2023 signees who will look to provide depth, or possibly compete for the right tackle job, after redshirting last season.
Left Guard
1. Tyler Booker (Junior)
2. Geno VanDeMark (Redshirt Junior)
3. Joseph Ionata (Freshman)
4. William Sanders (Freshman)
Booker enters his third season in the program and is now a true veteran. A former 5-star recruit out of IMG Academy, he bullied his way into the lineup as a true freshman and has been a fixture on the line ever since. Now draft-eligible and hungry for that elusive national championship, Booker should have his best season yet in 2024.
VanDeMark was a huge portal pickup and could be the top reserve at all three interior offensive line positions. Ionata and Sanders are 3-star early enrollees who could be redshirted this fall.
Center
1. Parker Brailsford (Redshirt Sophomore)
2. Geno VanDeMark (Redshirt Junior)
3. Casey Poe (Freshman) OR Roq Montgomery (Redshirt Freshman)
Even with Seth McLaughlin, Terrence Ferguson, and James Brockermeyer all portaling out of Tuscaloosa, the presence of Washington transfer Parker Brailsford alone could mean that the Tide upgraded at center. Brailsford proved to be one of the better centers in the country last year despite being undersized. Ideally, he will be able to play in every game, but the addition of VanDeMark gives Alabama some insurance. VanDeMark’s versatility could do wonders for an offensive line unit that lacked depth heading into the spring.
Right Guard
1. Jaeden Roberts (Redshirt Junior)
2. Geno VanDeMark (Redshirt Junior)
3. Casey Poe (Freshman)
Jaeden Roberts burst onto the scene midway through the 2023 season and had Bama fans wondering why he wasn’t starting all along. He joins Booker and Brailsford on the interior offensive line, rounding out a trio that could eviscerate opposing defensive lines. Add in Kadyn Proctor, and this offensive line is a right tackle away from having Joe Moore Award-winning potential on paper.
Right Tackle
1. Elijah Pritchett (Redshirt Sophomore)
2. Miles McVay (Redshirt Freshman)
3. Naquil Betrand (Redshirt Freshman)
The only position on this line that raises doubt in the minds of Alabama fans is right tackle. Pritchett seems like the easy favorite, but there are certainly concerns with his ability. Pritchett had slow feet in his opportunities last season, regularly getting burned on simple speed rushes.
Though he is also a former 5-star with limited playing experience, he doesn’t seem to get the same grace as Kadyn Proctor. After suffering a serious injury in 2022, last fall was essentially a true freshman season for Pritchett as well. Because of this, I think we could have been more patient with his development as a fan base.
Contrarily, heading into 2024, I am not opposed to Pritchett having a short leash if he doesn’t show significant improvement early in the season. He will have another offseason under his belt and will be two years removed from his injury, so he shouldn’t suffer from the same lapses that plagued him last season.
In addition to any on-field questions, Pritchett’s inability to stay out of trouble is concerning to say the least. He has made headlines for non-football related reasons twice in the last six months, bringing unnecessary negative attention to the program.
If Pritchett can’t get it together both on and off the field, there are plenty of young candidates who are working hard this summer to make a run at the right tackle job. Redshirt freshmen Wilkin Formby, Olaus Alinen, Miles McVay, and Naquil Betrand could all be in the mix.