During the Nick Saban era, Alabama football’s best teams were built on the backs of outstanding offensive linemen. According to a recent ranking from Pro Football Focus, the Crimson Tide might be returning to the glory days up front.
PFF’s Max Chadwick listed Alabama as the top unit in the nation. Chadwick pointed out that the combination of left tackle Kadyn Proctor, center Parker Brailsford and right guard Jaeden Roberts meant the Crimson Tide was the only group with three players in the top 10 of his position rankings.
It was the second consecutive year that PFF ranked the Crimson Tide’s offensive line as the best in college football ahead of the season.
“Alabama does have a couple of unproven players at right tackle and left guard in Wilkin Formby and Texas A&M-transfer Kam Dewberry, but the above trio is good enough for it to lead this list,” Chadwick wrote in his assessment of the Crimson Tide.
Proctor, who was limited during spring football, will be back for his third season as a starter with the Tide. Roberts and Brailsford are also veteran presences, providing a boost for a group that lost Tyler Booker to the NFL Draft.
Formby started Alabama’s first game of the 2024 season at right tackle, but was replaced by Elijah Pritchett, who transferred out after the season. Kalen DeBoer said Formby has shown major improvement this offseason.
“I think the thing that you lose sight of sometimes, is, if you flipped on the film a year ago, what would it look like?” DeBoer said during spring practice. “We’re in it, every single day with him, and he’s just focused on the now, but you peel back a little bit, and I think sometimes you forget just how far a guy has come, and that’s the case with him. It’s a physical piece, it’s a discipline piece.
“ For every guy, but I think as an offensive lineman, especially at tackle, there’s so many little details now that he’s picking up on that he wouldn’t have picked up on even late in the season last year.”
Dewberry transferred in from Texas A&M and will compete for the left job guard. Geno VanDeMark could also factor in, after serving as the unit’s utility player last year.
Others who could factor in up front in 2025 include Olaus Alinen and Michael Carroll Jr.
Utah ran second behind the Crimson Tide. Texas A&M was third on the list, while Florida and Oregon rounded out the top five, while Auburn also appeared in seventh place.
