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Alabama held its final scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, and it did so with a modified first-team offensive line.
Tyler Booker has moved back to left guard after spending the spring and the beginning of fall camp over on the center’s right hip. That switch has pushed Terrance Ferguson down to the second-team and opened a spot for Darrian Dalcourt to join the first-team unit at right guard.
“Basically, we moved some guys around to try to balance the experience a little bit more,” coach Nick Saban said Saturday. “I think that’s helped the left tackles, who are less experienced. Somebody that’s got more experience, more confidence, can make calls, can help them with their communication.”
The Tide have a full-blown battle at left tackle in camp. Elijah Pritchett held the first-team spot in the spring, but standout freshman Kadyn Proctor has been pushing for the job in training camp.
Pritchett is a redshirt freshman who saw only a handful of snaps last fall. Whoever wins that job, there will be an adjustment period. Having Booker next to them — he was Alabama’s highest-graded blocker in pass protection last season (PFF) — could prove invaluable.
“That doesn’t mean that’s the way it’s gonna be,” Saban continued. “But that is one thing that I think has helped, to some degree, on that side of the line.”
Saban thinks Alabama has six or seven offensive linemen who could be possible starters, and that both Dalcourt and Ferguson are capable of backing up center Seth McLaughlin as well as playing guard. J.C. Latham appears to have a hold on the right tackle spot.
On the left side, Saban has seen “a lot of improvement.”
The Tide open the season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
