Alabama football countdown to kickoff: 74 days

If you can believe it, we are officially under the 75-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 June 21, that means we are only 74 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. 74.

*Note: BamaOn3 is also doing a Countdown to Fall Camp, which is only 45 days away.

Who currently wears the No. 74?

Damieon George will once again be back wearing the No. 74 for Alabama this season. The rising junior saw increased usuage in 2021, going from only 32 snaps in his freshman year to 268 with three starts in Year 2. For a guy who didn’t even rate amongst the top-30 offensive tackles coming out of high school, that’s impressive.

Granted, George still has some work to do, especially in pass protection. Kicking inside from right tackle to right guard will help his issues with speed off the edge, but he still struggled — as did others — keeping quarterback Bryce Young protected during the A-Day Game back in April.

There’s good news though. George will probably have some time to develop behind the scenes.

With Emil Ekiyor junior back from injury — and Javion Cohen locked in as a starter at left guard, George is likely to run with the second-team unit. That may not seem like the ideal scenario for him, but at least it gives him time to get more comfortable at his new position. Plus, he’s still working to lose a little weight after going from 339 to 333.

Make no mistake, George is still valuable, experienced depth.

Who’s a noteworthy former player to wear it?

We could’ve gone with two players here — just during the Nick Saban era. Former All-American Cam Robinson would be a great option, but instead, we’ll go with another offensive tackle that came out of Alabama: Jedrick Wills.

Coming out of Lexington (Ky.) Lafayette in 2017, Wills was a borderline five-star prospect. He was the No. 31 player nationally, No. 6 offensive tackle and top-rated player from his home state, per the On3 Consensus.

With offers from Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan and several others, he could’ve gone anywhere, but in the end, he chose Tuscaloosa as his next home. That decision paid off in a major way for Wills — and for the Crimson Tide.

Wills wasn’t an immediate starter, but he did appear in 11 games as a freshman with one start. Over the next two seasons, he started every game at right tackle before choosing to leave early for the 2020 NFL draft. That April following his junior season, the 6-foot-4, 307-pound blocker was selected No. 10 overall by the Cleveland Browns.

Somehow, Wills emerged as an immediate starter for his new team.

Earning a starting job out of the gate wasn’t surprising, but doing it on the NFL level at left tackle — after spending his high school and college careers on the right side — was eye-opening. The transition hasn’t been flawless necessarily, but Wills has done a really nice job protecting his quarterback’s blindside.

His physical, nasty demeanor is exactly what Alabama’s offensive line needed a few years ago — and it’s something they could use a little more of nowadays.

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.)