Kadyn Proctor profile, talent fit mold of starting Alabama left tackle

Kadyn Proctor could end up being the latest true freshman to earn a starting job at Alabama. Standing 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, he’s done nothing but impress since stepping on campus and is quickly gaining buzz to take over the left tackle position in 2023.

BamaOnline‘s Tim Watts joined On3‘s Andy Staples recently to explain how the five-star prospect has proven himself worthy of stepping into that role so early.

“Certainly he has the talent,” Watts said. “He meets those guys that we’ve seen in the past. That No. 1 offensive tackle in the country that’s come in and done really well at Alabama. Obviously, he’s a physical freak. I think the biggest question was the fact he’s coming from a smaller high school state in Iowa where he literally just bullied anybody on the field.”

Proctor played high school football at Southeast Polk in Des Moines, Iowa. He ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2023 cycles according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

As Watts mentioned, Proctor wouldn’t be the first true freshman offensive lineman to start at Alabama under Nick Saban. That includes future stars such as Evan Neal, Cam Robinson and Jedrick Willis.

Even a pair of players currently on the roster, JC Latham and Tyler Booker, got their first starts at Alabama during their first seasons. As Proctor has started both scrimmages so far at left tackle, Watts mentioned how he has seen Booker be a help to him as he prepares for the role.

“You’ve got him at left tackle. He’s started at both scrimmages there. And you see Booker at left guard,” Watts said. “That’s provided him a little bit of extra protection, a little bit of a safety valve because you’ve got a proven early draft pick over there helping him out.”

Winning in the SEC requires a top-notch offensive line, and Alabama has consistently rolled out some of the best units in the country. The Crimson Tide have had at least one player taken in the first round of three of the past four NFL Drafts, routinely signing some of the best players at the position.

It seems Proctor is the next up in that group, and it will be exciting to see whether he can live up to the hype this season. Alabama kicks off the year on Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State.