For the R3cord: Alabama's Achilles' heel is 'to be determined'

After a disappointing two-loss campaign in 2022, Alabama should be back competing for an SEC title and a College Football Playoff berth in 2023. But the Crimson Tide certainly have some issues to resolve between now and opening day.

But what, exactly, might be Alabama’s Achilles heel isn’t really clear at this point. According to BOL’s Tim Watts, a number of blemishes could rear their heads — or be smoothed over by the time the season begins. He explained where Alabama could have issues during a recent For The R3cord with On3 founder Shannon Terry.

“So you kind of look at the four things you’ve gotta have to be a good football team: You gotta have a pass rush, which they’ve got. You’ve gotta have a good secondary, which I think they will — you gotta have a lockdown corner, you do with Kool-Aid [McKinstry]. So you’ve got two of them pretty good,” Watts said. “But you’ve also got to have a left tackle and a quarterback.”

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Quarterback, of course, has been the dominant storyline for Alabama this offseason. Replacing a Heisman winner in Bryce Young with like-for-like production and poise isn’t happening. Nick Saban and Co. have some decent options to chose from with varying upside at signal caller, but Watts was similarly concerned with ironing out who will play left tackle.

Heading into the A Day scrimmage, redshirt freshman Elijah Pritchett was pencilled into that spot. But after some struggles in the spring game, Watts thinks someone like veteran JC Latham could slide over, allowing Pritchett or even five-star freshman Kadyn Proctor to start at right tackle.

“Pritchett struggled. They liked him practice. Didn’t have a great A Day game, but they’ve got options,” Watts said. “They could swing Latham over to left tackle, you know he’s a ball player. You could maybe put Proctor or Pritchett in that right tackle position.”

As for quarterbacks, it’s likely going to be one of Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson or Tyler Buchner. Watts ultimately thinks it’s Milroe, given his time and experience with the staff and rest of the roster, plus his dual-threat ability.

But if quarterback, like left tackle, gets resolved in the early going of 2023 or in fall camp, Watts isn’t certain what might be an Achilles heel for the Tide — if they have one at all.

‘We might be talking going into the SEC Championship and they’ve figured out their quarterback issue. They might have another — nobody knew Mac Jones. I mean the revisionist history I see is bull crap. Nobody thought Mac Jones was a damn Top 15 pick in the NFL,” Watts said. “So there could be a guy that really takes over. And you know, you iron out the left tackle. So the Achilles, I think, is to be determined. If they don’t find their quarterback, that’s obviously going to make it a lot harder. But they’ve got some running backs now. Justice Haynes alone, plus the guys they’ve got.”