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Alabama football has a brand new offensive line. It has a new leader in Adrian Klemm. It has a room of four freshmen a junior college addition and six transfers to pair with a handful of returners, only one of which has any ample experience.
In a room where there is desperate need for cohesion, the Crimson Tide faces change and uncertainty. But it's a unit Kalen DeBoer already sees significant progress from.
"Today, I thought it looked a lot better and cleaner than what it did at the end of spring," DeBoer said after Alabama's first fall camp practice Wednesday Aug. 5. "We don't have pads on, so it's going to be hard to tell. I thought just from responsibilities... and there's got to be a trust that exists. It's (not) just doing your job. It's knowing where's that next help coming from? It's the double team, it's the footwork. We got to be in sync. You know you can rep a lot of those things and make sure you are on the same page in the summer. You can tell that the guys have been working at that and being intentional about that too."
EJ CROWELL UPDATE: What Kalen DeBoer saw from EJ Crowell in first Alabama football fall practice
ALABAMA FOOTBALL QB BATTLE: This word describes state of Alabama football QB battle at start of fall camp
For DeBoer, it helps to have a guy like William Sanders back in the fold.
After missing spring with an injury, Sanders returned to the practice field as one of only a handful of returners who have experienced what it is like to be a Crimson Tide offensive lineman, even if it's been only for 193 game snaps across two seasons, per Pro Football Focus.
"Another guy who knows how things go," DeBoer said, lumping Sanders in with Michael Carroll and Jackson Lloyd, who both seemingly have starting positions secured.
But that development, that progress isn't limited to returners.
When speaking about the right tackle position battle between Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James and Texas transfer Nick Brooks, DeBoer said both have "come a long ways" in terms of consistency, showing potential and what they are each capable of.
Alabama will open the 2026 season at 11 a.m. CT Saturday Sept. 5 at Bryant-Denny Stadium against East Carolina.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where Alabama football new-look offensive line stands at fall camp start
Continue reading...
In a room where there is desperate need for cohesion, the Crimson Tide faces change and uncertainty. But it's a unit Kalen DeBoer already sees significant progress from.
"Today, I thought it looked a lot better and cleaner than what it did at the end of spring," DeBoer said after Alabama's first fall camp practice Wednesday Aug. 5. "We don't have pads on, so it's going to be hard to tell. I thought just from responsibilities... and there's got to be a trust that exists. It's (not) just doing your job. It's knowing where's that next help coming from? It's the double team, it's the footwork. We got to be in sync. You know you can rep a lot of those things and make sure you are on the same page in the summer. You can tell that the guys have been working at that and being intentional about that too."
EJ CROWELL UPDATE: What Kalen DeBoer saw from EJ Crowell in first Alabama football fall practice
ALABAMA FOOTBALL QB BATTLE: This word describes state of Alabama football QB battle at start of fall camp
For DeBoer, it helps to have a guy like William Sanders back in the fold.
After missing spring with an injury, Sanders returned to the practice field as one of only a handful of returners who have experienced what it is like to be a Crimson Tide offensive lineman, even if it's been only for 193 game snaps across two seasons, per Pro Football Focus.
"Another guy who knows how things go," DeBoer said, lumping Sanders in with Michael Carroll and Jackson Lloyd, who both seemingly have starting positions secured.
But that development, that progress isn't limited to returners.
When speaking about the right tackle position battle between Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James and Texas transfer Nick Brooks, DeBoer said both have "come a long ways" in terms of consistency, showing potential and what they are each capable of.
Alabama will open the 2026 season at 11 a.m. CT Saturday Sept. 5 at Bryant-Denny Stadium against East Carolina.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where Alabama football new-look offensive line stands at fall camp start
Continue reading...
