Breaking down how Kalen DeBoer’s offensive lines will differ from Nick Saban’s
Alabama is getting a complete makeover under new head coach Kalen DeBoer. He’s know for his high-flying, fast-paced tempo that was showcased at Washington in recent years. Now — that philosophy has made its way to Tuscaloosa.
BamaOnLine publisher Tim Watts has noticed some clear differences between DeBoer’s philosophy and that of longtime head coach Nick Saban. Being front and center for the Crimson Tide’s changing of the guard over the past few months, Watts joined On3’s Andy Staples to discuss some of the changes fans might see on the field for Alabama this season.
One big one includes the mindset behind their offensive lines. Saban had historically recruited the biggest, most physical linemen he could find. DeBoer, on the other hand, is going to need a bit more speed up front.
“With Kalen DeBoer, it’s more about his scheme with his offense. A lot of quick passes, a lot of quick hits, guys pulling and moving,” Watts explained. “The one thing about [offensive line] Coach [Chris Kapilovic] that, when I was talking to people that knew him, they kept talking about vertical blocking which is basically just get in front of your man and push him back. You’re gonna have to be athletic, have good feet and have quickness to get out there and move that around.”
Kapilovic has already named returning OL Tyler Booker the alpha of the group through the first few spring practices. Booker and Jaeden Roberts, the only two returning starters for Alabama from last season at right and left guard, respectively, are leading the charge.
Now, Washington transfer Parker Brailsford is on campus. Elijah Pritchett and Wilkin Formby have a shot to make their case for starting minutes this season. Texas A&M transfer Naquil Betrand and redshirt freshman Miles McVay are in the mix, too.
Brailsford, Pritchett and Formby weigh between the 275-320 mark, while Bertrand and McVay are sitting a bit higher north of 340. Booker and Roberts are lighter than those two as well, meaning they might be closer to the size to what DeBoer is used to rather than what Saban has historically brought into the program.
“They [were] so big that in every Georgia and Alabama game we got the same graphic, right — ‘Look how much bigger they are than your average NFL offensive line,'” Watts told Staples. “They were absolutely huge. I also saw JC Latham was closer to [340 pounds], down from that [360-pound] range. So he got down a little, too about 20 pounds of loss to get ready for that NFL Combine. So I think he saw that as well. Everybody was talking about how well he moved. But again, you’re talking about philosophy in college versus the future in the NFL.”
The need for leaner, faster offensive linemen has grown over the past few years, and DeBoer has proven that he can win with them.
Fans will get to see this new-look offensive line for themselves when Alabama’s annual A-Day spring football game airs live on ESPN on Saturday, April 13 inside Bryant Denny Stadium.