Alabama offensive lineman Elijah Pritchett leaves practice on Saturday
Alabama is opening practice up to fans on Saturday but some bad news unfolded in front of their eyes. Offensive lineman Elijah Pritchett left the practice field with some sort of injury. According to those in attendance, Pritchett was limping and was heading toward to locker room.
However, this did give people in Tuscaloosa the opportunity to see Kadyn Proctor get time with the first-team offensive line. For just a freshman, Proctor could have the opportunity to make a real impact this season. Especially if Nick Saban is throwing him in at left tackle following a potential Pritchett injury.
“#Alabama OT Elijah Pritchett just walked to the locker room under his own power,” Charlie Potter of On3’s BOL said via Twitter. “Had been favoring his left ankle earlier in practice. Freshman Kadyn Proctor is now getting lots of reps at left tackle.”
Pritchett has spent just one season with Alabama but did not see too much playing time. He appeared in just two games, with the first coming against Austin Peay in a nonconference matchup. Then against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl, Pritchett got snaps at left tackle.
There is now an opportunity to take over the starting left tackle role with Tyler Steen leaving Alabama in favor of the NFL. Pritchett is going to be the favorite to win the job but Proctor is garnering a ton of attention, being a former Five-Star Plus+ prospect.
Spring practice was a place Pritchett really stood out, with Saban evaluating his play. He even admitted the offensive lineman was competing for a starting role. Hopefully, this minor injury does not have any kind of setback for him.
“He’s done a good job,” Saban said during sprint practice. “Elijah’s getting better. I think he’s one of those guys that’s a young that needs to be able to sustain his intensity. Not get penalties, do the little things right. But he has done a really, really good job this spring. He’s played well, he’s made a lot of progress and improvement. And he’s really competing hard for a position as a starter.”
At the time of posting, there has been no update provided on Pritchett. All we know is he was limping off the field while moving toward the locker room. Thankfully, there will be plenty time to recover as Alabama still has a few weeks of fall camp before beginning the 2023 regular season on Sept. 2.