Darrian Dalcourt shares why he returned to Alabama for fifth season

Alabama has a veteran piece of its offensive line back in the rotation for his super-senior season this coming fall. After not putting his name in the 2023 NFL Draft, offensive lineman Darrian Dalcourt is back with the Crimson Tide for his fifth season with the program. After starting most of Alabama’s games the last two years, he’s ready to be a leader on (hopefully) another great offensive line in the long lineage of them in Tuscaloosa.

‘Bama has begun spring football, where they’ll have some time this month to practice and scrimmage against one another for the first time as a team. So Dalcourt is getting back into shape and just trying to improve as a player. For him, the return is all about getting better on the field and finishing off his graduate degree.

“I think I had a lot left on the table, both academically and football-wise too,” Dalcourt answered when asked what motivated him to stick around for one extra season. “I’m doing my Master’s this semester, so that was a big part of it. And I feel like, on the field, I missed a lot of time with injuries. So I think my main reason for that was I wanted to come back have a healthy year and then, you know, try to become the best player I could be.”

Having a healthy year is key for Dalcourt. Though he’s been the day one starter two straight years at center for the Tide, he’s also missed several games in both seasons. In 2021, he missed three games with an ankle injury; then this past fall, he only started five games and played in just seven after dealing with back spasms.

After having those opportunities robbed from him due to various health issues, Darrian Dalcourt is just hoping he gets the opportunity to play. If he’s able to and is 100% recovered by September, that’s just one more sturdy and experienced piece up front for the Alabama offensive line.

He’ll have some competition at center possibly. Since Dalcourt started to fall apart physically as the year wore on, Seth McLaughlin stepped right in to start eight of the Tide’s final nine contests at the vertex of the line. Even if McLaughlin is the pick at center, Dalcourt is surely capable of bumping over to guard. Who knows, he may even play better there.