ESPN All-Americans confirm Alabama will be strongest where it counts
ESPN released its preseason All-American teams earlier this week, with five Crimson Tide players being named to the first or second teams. These lists only confirmed that Alabama’s strength will be in the box and on special teams.
The Tide will be particularly strong along the lines of scrimmage and should boast arguably the best interior offensive line in college football. Junior offensive guard Tyler Booker and redshirt sophomore center Parker Brailsford were both named first team All-Americans by ESPN, and will anchor the interior of Bama’s line. Along with redshirt junior guard Jaeden Roberts and sophomore tackle Kadyn Proctor, Chris Kapilovic’s first unit in Tuscaloosa should be dominant.
On the other side of the ball, redshirt junior inside linebacker Deontae Lawson was named a second team All-American. Lawson will spearhead a linebacker unit that should be one of Alabama’s best in years. He will be joined by a pair of returnees in junior Jihaad Campbell and senior Justin Jefferson at the off-ball spots. Campbell is an underrated linebacker who is also good enough to have made this All-American list, and just made the Butkus Award watch list earlier this week. Jefferson is an elite athlete and will rotate in at inside ‘backer.
This trio will be assisted by a very deep and experienced defensive line. Though Bama doesn’t have any All-American types up front just yet, it has more capable bodies here than anywhere else on the field. Graduate Tim Smith, redshirt junior Tim Keenan III, and juniors Jehiem Oatis and LT Overton have all produced at the SEC level and any one of them could have breakout seasons.
The final two Alabama players that made ESPN’s All-American teams were kicker Graham Nicholson, who made the first team, and punter James Burnip, who was named to the second team. It has been well-established that Bama’s kicking units should be very strong, a factor that could cover a multitude of sins if necessary.
Alabama has a lot of showing and proving to do on the perimeter, at positions such as wide receiver and cornerback. However, the closer one gets to the football, the better the Tide looks.
The quarterback, running back, and linebacker positions should all be improved from last year, where they were already solid. Special teams and both lines of scrimmage are expected to be overwhelming strengths for Alabama. Being dominant in these particular areas gives the Tide a high floor heading into 2024.