Nick Saban shares how Kadyn Proctor has progressed

Kadyn Proctor — a true freshman left tackle for Alabama — has drawn criticism throughout the season for his mishaps as he adjusts to the college level.

Now, he’s been named as one of the Alabama staff’s Player of the Week for the first time in his young career. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban explained what has changed for Proctor over the course of his first season in Tuscaloosa.

“He’s getting better. He’s playing better. He has more confidence,” Saban said. “I think he knows what to do, and because of that confidence, he was apprehensive sometimes about doing what we were supposed to do even when he knew what he was supposed to do. All of that comes with confidence.

“It’s like any young guy at any position, whether it’s making a call or whatever. They don’t want to make a call because they don’t want to be wrong. But when you get experience and you gain confidence — and you do that by making mistakes — then you learn from them. He’s continued to progress and is continuing to improve.”

Given the fact that he has been recognized internally as one of Alabama’s top players during Week 10’s 42-28 victory over LSU, Saban sees that as a motivating factor for his freshman left tackle to continue the same style of play moving forward.

Of course, this type of production was always expected out of Proctor, as he was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall OT in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 9 overall player in the class.

Alabama has always been a place where five-star talent come to become NFL prospects, but getting shoehorned into a starting job — especially on the offensive line — isn’t something that happens all too often in Tuscaloosa. A learning curve is expected, but Proctor seems to be catching on and has certainly gained respect from him peers and coaches alike.

The Crimson Tide will need a similar type of performance out of Proctor when they travel to Lexington this weekend. Alabama is an 11-point favorite on the road, according to Vegas Insider. The over/under total is set at 46.5 points.

After that, a matchup against Chattanooga and the Iron Bowl at Auburn are the only things coming between the Crimson Tide and another SEC Championship under Saban.