Josh Pate has his eye on a key player for Alabama, and has suggested that the Alabama freshman may, in fact, start for the Crimson Tide.

Pate, on Late Kick Live, said offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, an Iowa native, is a true freshman to watch in 2023.

“I think he may start at tackle for them,” Pate said.

Pate explained that while JC Latham will have one tackle spot, the other one is essentially a competition between Elijah Pritchett and Proctor.

“It’s not crazy to talk about a true freshman starting at tackle there,” Pate said. “Talk about really young guys playing, it’s not crazy.”

Pate cited multiple former Alabama linemen such as Alex Leatherwood, Cyrus Kouandjio and Cam Robinson among those who played early, including DJ Fluker and Jonah Williams.

Proctor has similar talent and potential as those previous talented players, as he was the No. 1 tackle, and No. 5 overall player in the 2023 class. The other bonus is that Proctor already has the size, and doesn’t need to develop in that area, Pate said, as he’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds.