Surrounded by new faces, Tyler Booker was searching for a way to bring Alabama’s new-look offensive line closer together. Taking charge isn’t new for Booker, a junior who emerged as a leader as the starting left guard on a veteran-laden unit last season, but the 2024 group looks much different. Right tackle JC Latham is off to the NFL; part-time starting guard Darrion Dalcourt graduated; Terrence Ferguson II, Seth McLaughlin and Kadyn Proctor transferred out. The Crimson Tide return only two offensive linemen with significant playing experience in Booker and redshirt junior Jaeden Roberts.
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Ultimately, Booker landed on the universal language of linemen: food.
“Shoutout to my girlfriend Kalani,” Booker said. “She made Ro-Tel dip, cheeseburger sliders, meatballs, chicken fingers, etc. And there was a lot, it’s a house full of offensive linemen, so that was gone within 30 minutes.”
As the 15 or so linemen ate, they watched Washington games from last season, with Huskies transfer Parker Brailsford, who had arrived on campus earlier that week, walking them through plays, protections and more. Several weeks later, the offensive line has gotten through its first week of spring practice working to become a cohesive unit with several new parts, and one thing is clear: Booker is leading the way.
“He’s definitely the alpha,” offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said. “He’s the guy that when he talks people listen, so he’s a critical piece of this, no question.”
Booker and Roberts are returning starters at left and right guard. Everywhere else, there’s intrigue. Alabama faces position battles at tackle and center, but above all the program needs to build quality depth. A majority of its scholarship linemen (eight out of 13) are true or redshirt freshmen.
“We know this is a critical time here,” Kapilovic said. “We are so young and lack a little depth, so development is critical.”
There’s no bigger need for development than at tackle. Redshirt sophomore Elijah Pritchett, who earned some playing time at left tackle last season, is in pole position with the first unit through one week. At right tackle, one name that has impressed early is redshirt freshman Wilkin Formby. At 6-7 and 320 pounds, Formby’s frame is closer to what Washington utilized in 2023 as opposed to his predecessor Latham, who played at 350-plus. Formby’s year spent developing behind the projected first-round pick has yielded positive results, as he seems more equipped to deal with a big role.
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The unit has been cross training across the board, and there have even been conversations about Booker sliding out to tackle, but Texas A&M transfer Naquil Betrand has spent time at left tackle behind Pritchett, and redshirt freshman Miles McVay is battling with Formby at right tackle.
“(Formby) has improved a lot from last year,” Booker said. “He’s taking it a lot more seriously now. He understands the opportunity that he has, and I’m very proud of him for really taking it seriously on and off the field as far as how he’s taking care of his body. He’s gained a lot more mobility, so I’m excited to see how he continues to grow.”
Kapilovic is requiring eight to 10 linemen to learn how to snap effectively this spring. He vividly remembers coaching a team years ago that lost multiple centers and was reduced to one, vowing since then to always have depth. Also, it’s a valuable skill to NFL scouts. More specifically to Alabama, he’s well-aware of last season’s issues.
“Obviously, everybody heard about it,” Kapilovic said. “But no (we’re not paying attention to it). We train those guys, teach them the techniques and we grade them every day; every snap is charted. It’s something we take seriously in the offseason and in season, they’re snapping year-round.”
Brailsford has the foundational knowledge of the offense and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded returning center in college football (81.4 overall grade), but there’s been legitimate competition at center. James Brockermeyer took some first-team snaps during the first week of spring practice with Brailsford working with the second unit surrounded by (left to right) Bertrand, Olaus Alinen, Roq Montgomery and Miles McVay.
That second unit of young players will no doubt benefit from Brailsford’s knowledge in getting acclimated to the new scheme, but while that’s happening, Brockermeyer is getting his chance to impress the staff. And it’s worth noting that his frame (6-3, 285 pounds) is close to Brailsford’s 6-2, 275, making him a better fit in Washington’s scheme, which will get linemen blocking in space more often than the Crimson Tide did with last season’s massive line.
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“Brock’s an extremely intelligent kid,” Kapilovic said. “It’s amazing how he’s picked up this offense so quickly. (Brailsford) is here and has been through the offense which helps, but it’s good to see those two guys competing.
“It all starts with having leadership skills, communication skills and having a high football IQ. You got to understand the scheme. You gotta be able to communicate great to the guys next to you. You have to get people in the right positions. From there, obviously, it’s getting the ball to the quarterback and then it’s getting to the right place and playing at a high level. That’s a cerebral, mental position so that’s going to be a big part of it.”
Kapilovic is incorporating new incentives to build an identity for his group. During his time as an assistant at North Carolina (2012-18), Kapilovic called his offensive line units “juice squad” and has carried it over to subsequent stops. In addition to hats, shirts and hoodies, there will be a gold chain given to the lineman of the week each Friday. That approach has made an immediate impression on the group and added a fun element.
“Nobody gives the O-linemen any love, right?” Kapilovic said. “I always joke that when there’s a 40-yard run and the running back goes untouched, they say it’s a great run, but if he gets tackled in the backfield, it wasn’t very good (blocking) … So I like to make it fun for the guys.
“It’s amazing how much they love putting that (chain) on, so we promote our guys, and you know when you’re in football culture, everybody knows how important they are.”
Accessories aside, Kapilovic and the offensive line understand that their growth and development this spring and fall will largely determine the success of Alabama’s 2024 season. And early on, they have placed a premium on fundamentals to avoid simple mistakes that can compound to larger issues.
“He’s very fired up,” Booker said. “I’m really really excited to work with him. He’s big into technique, big into really finding what’s working for us and we really work together. That makes a difference.”