Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 54 days

If you can believe it, we are officially under the 55-day mark until Alabama is back on a live-game football field. After coming up short in the national championship game against Georgia back in early January, the Crimson Tide will once again be searching for its seventh title under Nick Saban.

This year’s season opener will be against the Utah State Aggies on Sept. 3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

With today being July 11, that means we are only 54 days away from the return of Alabama football. The team here at BamaOn3 is ready to celebrate every day of the countdown standing between now and the start of football season. Let’s focus on a player — both past and present — who represents — or has represented — the No. 54.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 25 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 54?

The No. 54 is set up the same way on Alabama’s roster as the No. 55, as two players are currently wearing it. The first is the son of former offensive line coach Kyle Flood (Kyle Jr.), a third-year linebacker out of Middlesex (N.J.) St. Joseph. The other is offensive lineman Tyler Booker, a five-star freshman out of IMG Academy.

The On3 Consensus has Booker rated as the No. 30 player nationally, the No. 3 offensive tackle and the No. 6 player from the state of Florida. He’s one of only three Consensus five-star offensive linemen currently on Alabama’s roster, joining the two 2021 additions in JC Latham and Tommy Brockermeyer.

Throughout most of spring practice, Booker worked behind Latham with the second-team offense at right tackle.

The question is whether or not that place on the depth chart sticks as the Crimson Tide gets into fall camp. With Vanderbilt transfer Tyler Steen now on campus, it’s possible for one of the two spring candidates at that position — Kendall Randolph or Amari Kight — to move to the right side. Or maybe the staff is comfortable with the Latham-Booker duo at right tackle.

Either way, we know the coaching staff remains sky high on the talented freshman.

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

We could’ve gone way back to former linebacker Lee Roy Jordan or offensive lineman Paul Crane for this number, but I just don’t think we give Dalvin Tomlinson enough credit. No, he wasn’t the same caliber disruptor as Jonathan Allen or Quinnen Williams, but he was a force against the run and also provided some interior pass rush.

After barely playing his first two seasons, Tomlinson burst onto the scene as a contributor in 2014.

Over the next three years, he would play 1,416 snaps, including 702 during his fifth and final season. His impact getting after quarterbacks didn’t translate to many sacks (four in his career), but he did total an impressive 40 QB pressures in 2016 while also providing elite support against the run.

After a successful, yet underrated college career, Tomlinson went on to be a second-round pick (No. 55 overall) by the New York Giants in the 2017 NFL Draft. He started every game for the franchise over the next four seasons (64 total games) before signing a two-year, $22 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021.

At 28 years old, Tomlinson still has a lot of good football left in him. Similar to his time at Alabama, he doesn’t always get the recognition that he deserves, but that doesn’t make the big defensive lineman any less impactful on the field.

2022 Alabama Football Schedule

Sept. 3 vs. Utah State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 10 at Texas Longhorns (Austin, Tex.)

Sept. 17 vs. UL-Monroe Warhawks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Sept. 24 vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 1 at Arkansas Razorbacks (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 15 at Tennessee Volunteers (Knoxville, Tenn.)

Oct. 22 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Oct. 29 – OPEN WEEK

Nov. 5 at LSU Tigers (Baton Rouge, La.)

Nov. 12 at Ole Miss Rebels (Oxford, Miss.)

Nov. 19 vs. Austin Peay Governors (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Nov. 26 vs. Auburn Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Dec. 3 – SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Atlanta, Ga.)