Right tackle Wilkin Formby struggled big time in his second start of the 2024 season with Alabama football.
In the Crimson Tide’s win over South Florida, Formby gave up five total pressures (sacks, hits and hurries) while tallying four penalties, per Pro Football Focus’ charting. Fast forward to spring practices heading into the 2025 season, and Formby continues to strive to find the value in that game.
“I had a bumpy start but I think that was good,” Formby said. “It was a necessity to learn and grow. I’m happy with where I finished the season. I wanted to enter the offseason at a good spot, a positive spot in the last few games, entering the offseason trying to build up some steam.”
Formby didn’t start again the rest of his second season with the Crimson Tide, but he still saw a fair amount of reps, rotating in some with Elijah Pritchett. Formby finished the season with 291 snaps on offense, per PFF.
Now Pritchett is gone, and Formby is the early favorite to start on the right side.
“I think I just had to get some of the nerves out,” Formby said. “People don’t realize, when you’re in front of 100,000 people, sometimes, it’s a little stressful. Just experience helped a lot. And becoming confident. If you have a bad game and you mess up, you’re at the bottom, you get to keep going forward from there. That was good for me.”
Formby has spent the offseason working on areas in which he struggled in 2024. That includes hand usage and pad level, among other things. He said he gets with offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic each day to figure out how Formby can improve.
Formby also thinks he struggled with power rushing, so he’s been working with center Parker Brailsford to improve his hand fighting, leverage and anchoring when facing a power rusher
“Just because he plays center doesn’t mean I can’t take tools from him,” Formby said.
Alabama is in the back half of spring practices, which will conclude with A-Day on April 12.
