Tyler Booker opens up on the value of his relationship with JC Latham

As Alabama looks to move on in the post-Bryce Young era, all eyes are on the quarterback battle going forward. But the offensive line will have a lot to do with how successful the Crimson Tide is this fall, too.

The new quarterback needs time to make reads and get throws out on time. Veterans Tyler Booker and JC Latham look forward to helping provide that with a unique chemistry.

“JC and I, I consider JC a brother of mine,” Booker explained. “Ever since I got to IMG we’ve been through a lot of the same struggles. I don’t know if you guys remember or not, but JC and I played defensive tackle when we got to IMG. He was a defensive end, I was a three-technique. There was a shortage of offensive linemen, so we both made that transition at the same time and we both ascended to the top of the game at that position.”

Since then, the two have gone on to play at Alabama, where they now form a solid link on the offensive line.

JC Latham was a regular starter for the team at tackle all last season, while Tyler Booker rotated in at guard at various points before eventually starting in the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State.

Both are expected to be mainstays this fall.

“So just being able to play next to him is really a dream come true for both of us,” Booker said. “And just our communication is off the charts. Sometimes things will get heated out there and we’ll say something that we don’t really mean to say, but at the end of the day that’s your brother. We’ll come together and be like, ‘Hey man, I didn’t mean to come off at you like this, but this is what I was really trying to say.'”

Both Latham and Booker were former five-star prospects as recruits, and they’re only just starting to grow into themselves as college players.

They’ll be charged with protecting either Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson come fall, with both quarterbacks vying for the right to succeed Young. Both are capable, with the right help.

For Booker, things on the O-line are pretty straightforward. The tighter the bonds, the better the unit.

“Relationships are everything in football, especially on the offensive line,” Tyler Booker said. “Just having that relationship built with JC, we’re working on a lot of non-verbal cues now. Just that relationship it makes us so much better as a group.”