High praise was shared about Alabama freshman offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor by Roll Bama Roll’s Brent Taylor — who said the Des Moine native was “darn near perfect” during his Crimson Tide debut during the April 22 A-Day spring game.
“I thought freshman LT Kadyn Proctor looked like the most athletic and intimating player on the field, and he was darn near perfect,” Taylor wrote. “I will be surprised if he doesn’t challenge for the starting job.”
The rest of the Crimson Tide offensive line got mixed reviews from Taylor, who praised second-year offensive tackle Tyler Booker and was bearish on fellow second-year offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett.
“I thought the first team OL did really well in the run game,” Taylor wrote. “Both Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams averaged north of 5 yards per carry. Tyler Booker in particular noticeably pancaked dudes on more than one occasion. On the negative side of things, new LT Elijah Pritchett had a really, really hard day in pass protection. He was routinely beat by speed rushes from Keanu Koht, Quandarrius Robinson, and even lost some reps to a couple of walkons near the end of the game.”
Tight End Room ‘Going to be a Bright Spot’ For Alabama
Taylor believes that the offensive trenches will be bolstered by what should be a strong tight end room for Alabama during the 2023 season. The Roll Bama Roll writer went as far as to say that the position is “going to be a bright spot” for the Crimson Tide this upcoming season.
“I think (the tight end room) is going to be a bright spot for Alabama this year,” Taylor wrote. “We know Robbie Ouzts is a good blocker and a decent enough pass catcher. CJ Dippre didn’t do much in this game, but brings experience and athleticism. Amari Niblack made a couple of really nice catches and though it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, he definitely showcased a different gear to accelerate down the sidelines on one play. Finally, Danny Lewis looks to have made a big jump in progression from his freshman season and is a hulking athlete out there that can throw some bone-crunching blocks AND was a favorite target across the middle of the 2nd team QBs. Freshman Ty Lockwood dropped his only target.”
Alabama lost its fourth top receiver during the 2022 season, tight end Cameron Latu, to the 2023 NFL draft.
Alabama ‘Should be Fine’ at Running Back
Taylor has few qualms about the Alabama running back room, singing the praises of Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams, Jam Miller, and Justice Haynes.
“(Running back) is a position group with 4 guys who can be very good players,” Taylor wrote. “Seniors Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams are both now over a year removed from their ACL injuries and should be more explosive runners than they were last year. Sophomore Jam Miller seems to have more juice packed into his compact frame and is a big play waiting to happen. And then freshman Justice Haynes has been all the talk of the spring as a do-it-all guy that looks pro-ready from day 1. Haynes showcased a veteran-like savvy in pass protection, catching a TD over the middle, and navigating heavy traffic to get two short-yardage TDs. Alabama should be more than fine in this regard.”
With the loss of Jahmyr Gibbs, having a deep running back room will help overcome the loss of a playmaker who went for 1,370 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns during the 2022 season.
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Analyst Sends Strong Message on Alabama Freshman Offensive Lineman: ‘Darn Near Perfect’