🏈 Alabama coach Nick Saban: Leon Brown 'probably a guy that'll be in the best five guys' on OL

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Alabama coach Nick Saban touched on the Crimson Tide's competition on the offensive line this spring during a media session before speaking at a Team Focus charity event in Mobile on Tuesday, and said Leon Brown is making headway in his bid for a starting job.

"We're making steady improvement. We have three starters back that are all very capable guys,' Saban said. "Leon Brown has played in the bowl game and we have a lot of confidence in him and I think he's probably a guy that'll be in the best five guys."

The 6-foot-6 313-pound Brown came to Alabama as a junior-college offensive tackle from ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., but started the Crimson Tide's Sugar Bowl loss to Oklahoma at right guard in place of the injured Anthony Steen. With starters back at center (Ryan Kelly), left guard (Arie Kouandjio) and right tackle (Austin Shepherd), the Crimson Tide is looking to replace Steen and left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.

Tide coaches have shuffled several linemen into different spots during the spring, with Brown seeing time at both right guard and right tackle in recent practice.

Saban noted that freshman early enrollee tackle Cameron Robinson is also "doing a nice job."

"Cam Robinson, even though he's a young guy, the fact that he's there for spring practice, he's very talented and he's doing a nice job and competing for a starting job as well," he said. "And we have several other guys -- Grant Hill, Brandon Greene, Shank (Alphonse Taylor) from right here in Mobile -- they're all doing well and they're all competing for starting job. The competition is healthy and I think that's good for everybody's improvement."

Alabama will conclude spring practice with the A-Day game on April 19.




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[TerryP]

There's a telling statement there, in my opinion.

It's intriguing to see Saban mention "we've got three starters back" when when we've heard comments like "positions are all open to competition," and "we're starting over like we're building a program," this off-season—just to name a few.

It's not unreasonable to assume he's hinting that four of the five positions are set.

Two thoughts to chew on...

There seems to be a player, or a few players, that seem to draw the fans ire each season. If I'm right on what I've suggested I'm betting we see a lot of angst voiced towards Arie this fall.

Is Saban seeing Leon as a tackle or as a guard?

 

[planomateo]

My take, it still pending Dominick Jackson's arrival.

 

[JoshB]

There's a telling statement there, in my opinion.

It's intriguing to see Saban mention "we've got three starters back" when when we've heard comments like "positions are all open to competition," and "we're starting over like we're building a program," this off-season—just to name a few.

It's not unreasonable to assume he's hinting that four of the five positions are set.

Two thoughts to chew on...

There seems to be a player, or a few players, that seem to draw the fans ire each season. If I'm right on what I've suggested I'm betting we see a lot of angst voiced towards Arie this fall.

Is Saban seeing Leon as a tackle or as a guard?

I think Leon's gonna end up at right guard. Brandon Green/Grant Hill/Dominick Jackson (whoever wins that battle) at right tackle, Leon at right guard, Kelly at center, Arie at left guard, and Shepherd at left tackle.

 

[psychojoe]

Cameron Robinson has a great shot at being one of the starters, IMO. It will probably boil down to which five plays best together,

 

[JoshB]

Cameron Robinson has a great shot at being one of the starters, IMO. It will probably boil down to which five plays best together,

I 100% agree with the thing about which five guys work together best, but I think we'll see Cam like Cyrus was as a freshmen and Grant Hill was as a freshman. We'll see him in games and maybe even start a game against a BS team if a starter is hurt be he won't be one of the top 5 yet.

 

[TerryP]

FWIW...

Leon working at RG yesterday. Grant working with the 2's backing up at RT.