In the wake of a shoulder injury to starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor, Alabama appears to be exhausting all of its available options to ensure that the offensive line remains a strength.
Elijah Pritchett played left tackle in place of Proctor in week one against Western Kentucky. Overall, he did a decent job, but Alabama’s depth at tackle is now a concern.
Coach Kalen DeBoer spoke highly of Pritchett’s performance, but how much does he really trust the redshirt sophomore? His actions will speak louder than his words.
Bama has done some shuffling in practice, allowing All-American left guard Tyler Booker to get some reps at tackle. This is likely for depth purposes, as I highly doubt Booker will start over a healthy and available Pritchett at tackle. Still, Booker could be a reliable emergency option.
Though his build and skillset is clearly that of an interior lineman, Tyler Booker is highly skilled for his size and was a 4-star tackle coming out of high school. He can certainly play the position in a pinch, and may be more ready to play now than a young tackle like redshirt freshman Miles McVay.
Should Booker have to bump outside from the interior, Alabama has a versatile and experienced piece in Michigan State transfer Geno VanDeMark. VanDeMark will be valuable all season for the Tide, as he can plug in at guard or center as needed.
All of these contingency plans should be treated as just that. Coach DeBoer has praised Kadyn Proctor for his work ethic and it seems as though the big man will return sooner rather than later.
Personally, I don’t think Alabama needs Proctor in the lineup until Wisconsin in week three or maybe even Georgia in week five, so indications that he could return as early as this week are very promising.
Regardless, it’s good to know that Alabama has depth up front and is utilizing cross-training techniques to maximize that depth as much as possible.