One of the benefits of early camp practices is the time it affords coaches to get looks at different players at different positions, and through the first seven team practices that's certainly been the case on the offensive line.
One of the more intriguing spots is right guard, where a number of linemen are working or have worked through the first six days of camp.
Senior Leon Brown was the starting right guard for the Sugar Bowl, but a foot injury derailed the start of his camp with UA coach Nick Saban expecting him to be limited for two weeks.
Alphonse Taylor has been taking reps with with first-team offensive line at right guard.
Alphonse Taylor has practiced on both the right and left side of the line, but at the moment seems to be working more on the right.
Behind him is junior college transfer Dominick Jackson, a 6-foot-7, 320-pounder, who has worked at right guard and also at tackle.
Starting center Ryan Kelly said both Taylor and Jackson are progressing.
"(Taylor's) come miles," Kelly said. "He's done a great job. He's a really flexible guy. He's a big guy, too, so even in the running game he can finish some guys off.
"(Jackson's) a big dude. He's just like Shank (Taylor), those big behemoth guys. He can move in space and move well. Coming from a wing-T you don't do a lot of pass protection, so that's one thing he has to work on. We've all been working on that every day. No one is perfect. He's got a great attitude toward what he does. As long as he brings that every day he's going to fine."
Jackson played in a junior college offense that primarily ran the ball. Now he's being tasked with fine tuning his pass protection on top of acclimating into the way the Alabama football program operates.
"I think his pass protection is pretty good because every time I've gone against him it's pretty tough to get around him and play my keys and everything," defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson said.
Bring the rush
Alabama defenders aren't shying away from expectations of an increased pass rush in 2014. They're welcoming it.
From defensive line coach Bo Davis on down to the players, the desire is to get after the quarterback this season.
"Coach Bo Davis has done a really good job with the D-line. It's a lot harder when they are coming off the ball and they are not giving you the chest to latch onto," Kelly said. "That's one of the things they've been doing, playing low. They've been playing physical every day.
"Those guys are great with their hands. And you know if we don't bring ours every day, being technically sound every day, they make us look foolish. That's a great task every day to go up against those guys to get us ready for the season."
It starts with a healthy Tomlinson, who Saban said would have been the third defensive end last season if not for his season-ending knee injury. Add in junior D.J. Pettway, who re-joined the team in the spring after spending 2013 at East Mississippi Community College, and the defensive line has two legitimate pass rushers.
"I would say (we're better) because as a defensive line we've been targeting pass rushing a lot this offseason," Tomlinson said. "Basically, with us two, the quick twitch up there in the front, helps us focus on the pass rush and becoming quicker as a defensive front."
Tomlinson also credited Davis for the increased focus on pass rush.
"He wants us to be more aggressive, more physical on the defensive line. And also quicker with everything and all our reactions."
Camp Fatigue
They call it the dog days of camp, and after a total of seven team practices, Alabama players are beginning to feel the effects of fatigue.
The team doesn't get its first day off until Sunday, but the veterans have learned how to push through when nearing exhaustion.
"It's more of your approach in how you look at it," Kelly said. "We have a two-a-day (Wednesday). If you came in this morning saying, 'We have one of two, it's a hot day out there today, it's going to be a long practice, it's going to be exhausting,' then it's tougher. If you can look at it from the perspective of one period at a time, we have inside run here, just focus on the small things to get better you need to do that day, it's not as bad as you think."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1667431#sthash.rMHowZ6z.dpuf
One of the more intriguing spots is right guard, where a number of linemen are working or have worked through the first six days of camp.
Senior Leon Brown was the starting right guard for the Sugar Bowl, but a foot injury derailed the start of his camp with UA coach Nick Saban expecting him to be limited for two weeks.
Alphonse Taylor has been taking reps with with first-team offensive line at right guard.
Alphonse Taylor has practiced on both the right and left side of the line, but at the moment seems to be working more on the right.
Behind him is junior college transfer Dominick Jackson, a 6-foot-7, 320-pounder, who has worked at right guard and also at tackle.
Starting center Ryan Kelly said both Taylor and Jackson are progressing.
"(Taylor's) come miles," Kelly said. "He's done a great job. He's a really flexible guy. He's a big guy, too, so even in the running game he can finish some guys off.
"(Jackson's) a big dude. He's just like Shank (Taylor), those big behemoth guys. He can move in space and move well. Coming from a wing-T you don't do a lot of pass protection, so that's one thing he has to work on. We've all been working on that every day. No one is perfect. He's got a great attitude toward what he does. As long as he brings that every day he's going to fine."
Jackson played in a junior college offense that primarily ran the ball. Now he's being tasked with fine tuning his pass protection on top of acclimating into the way the Alabama football program operates.
"I think his pass protection is pretty good because every time I've gone against him it's pretty tough to get around him and play my keys and everything," defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson said.
Bring the rush
Alabama defenders aren't shying away from expectations of an increased pass rush in 2014. They're welcoming it.
From defensive line coach Bo Davis on down to the players, the desire is to get after the quarterback this season.
"Coach Bo Davis has done a really good job with the D-line. It's a lot harder when they are coming off the ball and they are not giving you the chest to latch onto," Kelly said. "That's one of the things they've been doing, playing low. They've been playing physical every day.
"Those guys are great with their hands. And you know if we don't bring ours every day, being technically sound every day, they make us look foolish. That's a great task every day to go up against those guys to get us ready for the season."
It starts with a healthy Tomlinson, who Saban said would have been the third defensive end last season if not for his season-ending knee injury. Add in junior D.J. Pettway, who re-joined the team in the spring after spending 2013 at East Mississippi Community College, and the defensive line has two legitimate pass rushers.
"I would say (we're better) because as a defensive line we've been targeting pass rushing a lot this offseason," Tomlinson said. "Basically, with us two, the quick twitch up there in the front, helps us focus on the pass rush and becoming quicker as a defensive front."
Tomlinson also credited Davis for the increased focus on pass rush.
"He wants us to be more aggressive, more physical on the defensive line. And also quicker with everything and all our reactions."
Camp Fatigue
They call it the dog days of camp, and after a total of seven team practices, Alabama players are beginning to feel the effects of fatigue.
The team doesn't get its first day off until Sunday, but the veterans have learned how to push through when nearing exhaustion.
"It's more of your approach in how you look at it," Kelly said. "We have a two-a-day (Wednesday). If you came in this morning saying, 'We have one of two, it's a hot day out there today, it's going to be a long practice, it's going to be exhausting,' then it's tougher. If you can look at it from the perspective of one period at a time, we have inside run here, just focus on the small things to get better you need to do that day, it's not as bad as you think."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1667431#sthash.rMHowZ6z.dpuf
