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Matt Zenitz | mzenitz@al.com
"It's going to be interesting. All the guys can play different positions. They're good guys. They know how to compete and they're willing to compete wherever they need to move to for the betterment of the team."
After Alabama's win over Georgia in the national title game, Nick Saban asked the Crimson Tide locker room, "Who should we give the game ball to?"
"Tua," some players yelled.
Then came a different recommendation.
"Man, give it to Leatherwood," a player yelled out, referring to Alabama then-freshman tackle Alex Leatherwood.
Other players then chimed in, too.
"Yeah, give it to Leatherwood," they said.
After not playing a meaningful snap all season, the former five-star recruit had to step in at left tackle early in the third quarter of the national title game for an injured Jonah Williams and played at such a high level that teammates were yelling that out about him in the post-game locker room.
And though Alabama returns four of its five offensive line starters, it's because of young players like Leatherwood and fellow rising sophomore Jedrick Wills that the Tide offensive line may look much different in 2018.
Some at Alabama believe Williams may end up at center with Leatherwood starting at left tackle and Wills, who was in the mix for the starting right tackle job last summer, potentially starting at right tackle over returning starter Matt Womack.
Others have different expectations.
Former Tide center Bradley Bozeman, the only offensive line starter Alabama is losing, said he believes left guard Ross Pierschbacher will end up at center, that Leatherwood could end up at left guard and that Williams will either remain at left tackle or "maybe" move back to the right tackle spot he played as a freshman in 2015.
"It's going to be interesting," Bozeman said. "All the guys can play different positions. They're good guys. They know how to compete and they're willing to compete wherever they need to move to for the betterment of the team."
The group has both talent and versatility.
Alabama has viewed Williams since the recruiting process as someone that could probably excel at all five positions along the offensive line. And though Pierschbacher has never played center in a game, he worked at center for several months in 2016 before Bozeman eventually won the starting job.
Those two give the Tide some flexibility as the team goes through the process of trying to find its best combination along the offensive line.
"They're not going to have a problem finding the best five (guys)," Bozeman said. "They might have a problem trying to figure out which ones are actually the best five because they're all so good. But, as far as competing and the guys that are going to get after it, they're going to have some good depth and a good O-line."
Continue reading...
After Alabama's win over Georgia in the national title game, Nick Saban asked the Crimson Tide locker room, "Who should we give the game ball to?"
"Tua," some players yelled.
Then came a different recommendation.
"Man, give it to Leatherwood," a player yelled out, referring to Alabama then-freshman tackle Alex Leatherwood.
Other players then chimed in, too.
"Yeah, give it to Leatherwood," they said.
After not playing a meaningful snap all season, the former five-star recruit had to step in at left tackle early in the third quarter of the national title game for an injured Jonah Williams and played at such a high level that teammates were yelling that out about him in the post-game locker room.
And though Alabama returns four of its five offensive line starters, it's because of young players like Leatherwood and fellow rising sophomore Jedrick Wills that the Tide offensive line may look much different in 2018.
Some at Alabama believe Williams may end up at center with Leatherwood starting at left tackle and Wills, who was in the mix for the starting right tackle job last summer, potentially starting at right tackle over returning starter Matt Womack.
Others have different expectations.
Former Tide center Bradley Bozeman, the only offensive line starter Alabama is losing, said he believes left guard Ross Pierschbacher will end up at center, that Leatherwood could end up at left guard and that Williams will either remain at left tackle or "maybe" move back to the right tackle spot he played as a freshman in 2015.
"It's going to be interesting," Bozeman said. "All the guys can play different positions. They're good guys. They know how to compete and they're willing to compete wherever they need to move to for the betterment of the team."
The group has both talent and versatility.
Alabama has viewed Williams since the recruiting process as someone that could probably excel at all five positions along the offensive line. And though Pierschbacher has never played center in a game, he worked at center for several months in 2016 before Bozeman eventually won the starting job.
Those two give the Tide some flexibility as the team goes through the process of trying to find its best combination along the offensive line.
"They're not going to have a problem finding the best five (guys)," Bozeman said. "They might have a problem trying to figure out which ones are actually the best five because they're all so good. But, as far as competing and the guys that are going to get after it, they're going to have some good depth and a good O-line."
Continue reading...
