Damieon George continues to impress Nick Saban, coaching staff
With Alabama losing its starting center Darrian Dalcourt mid-game against LSU less than two weeks ago, the team was forced to shuffle a few things around along its offensive line.
One of those moves was inserting second-year player Damieon George at right tackle. At 6-foot-6, 339 pounds, the Houston (Tex.) native has the size and power to make a difference. So far, he’s been able to do just that.
Following George’s performance against LSU, he drew praise from Alabama coach Nick Saban. With Dalcourt out against New Mexico State this past Saturday, Chris Owens once again started at center with George at right tackle.
And guess what? Saban once again came away impressed with the sophomore tackle’s performance. He said as much during his Wednesday evening press conference.
“Damieon has done a really good job,” Saban told reporters. “Played really good in the last game, played good the week before. So we’re pleased with the progress he’s making, and if he continues to play well, we’re gonna play him. Chris has gotta play two spots now, so it’s a little more difficult for him to get reps.
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“We feel like we have six starters now, and we’ll decide each week what gives us the best chance to be successful.”
It sounds like George will continue to start at right tackle, even when Dalcourt returns this weekend against Arkansas. That doesn’t mean Owens won’t also be in the mix at either right tackle or center, but it does mean he’s probably lost his starting job.
To recap, Dalcourt and starting left guard Javion Cohen missed the New Mexico State game. But it looks like both will return against the Razorbacks, which means this will likely be the starting unit:
- LT: Evan Neal
- LG: Javion Cohen
- C: Darrian Dalcourt
- RG: Emil Ekiyor
- RT: Damieon George
Saturday will mark the first time that group has started a game together. That news shouldn’t be overly concerning, however. George is the lone new starter, and he’ll be playing next to Ekiyor, who is the most seasoned player of anyone in the starting five.
