Alabama football is poised to begin its first set of spring workouts under Kalen DeBoer as head coach.
It is the first major step in DeBoer’s efforts to assemble his club and prepare for the 2024 season. There are a few returners, but the staff is entirely different, and the roster will include many new faces as well.
Practices begin on Monday and will continue until April 13, when the A-Day game will be conducted. The Crimson Tide is slated to host 15 practices, including the spring game.
With a new era of football in Tuscaloosa, many questions remain about this team, its coaching staff, and the season. Here are the five we have going into spring practice.
Alabama lost not one, not two, not three, but four secondary starters last season. Also, Trey Amos, the top backup cornerback, left via the transfer portal. That means five crucial defensive backs have gone.
Who will fill their positions? How good will they be? Perhaps Malachi Moore will reprise his role as the nickelback. Or is he transferred to safety? Domani Jackson, a USC transfer, is expected to take one slot at cornerback. Who gets the other? Alabama has several talented young players, but many are genuine freshman. Maybe after the spring, when the coaching staff evaluates what they have, Alabama will decide they are in fine shape at cornerback. Maybe Alabama goes to the gateway to find more experienced options. Regardless, this is the defensive position group to watch due to the change caused by departures to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal.
With Tyler Booker, Parker Brailsford, and Jaeden Roberts, Alabama possesses arguably the best interior core of any offensive line. This is an experienced and skilled combo. The question is, who will start next to them? Left tackle Kadyn Proctor returned home to Iowa, while right tackle JC Latham hopes to be drafted in the first round in April. Alabama’s returning tackle options include Elijah Pritchett, Miles McVay, and others. There’s also Naquil Betrand, a transfer from Texas A&M. The battle here will be worth following throughout the spring.
Alabama also made some changes at receiver, but it still has enough of strong components to work with. The question is how Alabama plans to use them and who will do so. Washington transfer Germie Bernard, junior Kendrick Law, junior Kobe Prentice, and sophomore Jalen Hale are among of the main prospects for playing time. Ryan Williams is the freshman to watch. He is a five-star prospect, but he is only expected to be a senior in high school next autumn. Can he have an instant impact? The chances are considerable that he can, but nothing is assured. He won’t enroll at Alabama until the summer, so the spring won’t disclose just what the Crimson Tide possesses.
