Alabama OL JC Latham has 'picked up his intensity' this spring
JC Latham was Alabama’s top signing from the 2021 recruiting class. For anyone who saw him play in high school, that news isn’t remotely shocking. His natural frame and athleticism for an offensive lineman were impressive, and it felt like he hadn’t come close to reaching his ceiling yet.
As a true freshman, Latham contributed. No, he didn’t earn any starts as some — myself included — had predicted. He did, however, play 142 snaps in 9 games while proving to be a serviceable right guard when called upon. That happened on multiple occasions due to injuries to the starter, Emil Ekiyor.
Still, many Alabama fans were left disappointed.
This was a Five-Star Plus prospect who was the top-ranked tackle in the country, after all. He came in with the pedigree, the size (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) and the opportunity with Alex Leatherwood, Landon Dickerson and Deonte Brown all heading to the NFL.
But in the end, some guys just take a little longer to develop — and that’s OK.
The good news is that Latham was able to get his feet wet with live game reps against some good teams. In fact, his 55 snaps against Cincinnati in the first round of the College Football Playoff were a season-high. Plus, he graded out well in that game.
Now, it’s a matter of mastering the nuances of playing the position at a high level. If you’re not confident in what you’re doing on a particular play, it’s difficult to play fast. That creates easy opportunities for the defensive lineman or linebacker lining up across from you.
On Thursday, fellow lineman Javion Cohen spoke highly of Latham’s progress and versatility. After listing Latham as one of several offensive linemen taking a step forward this spring, here’s what Cohen had to say specifically about Latham:
“He’s picked up his intensity, he’s picked up his focus,” Cohen said of Latham. “You know, he’s a lot more mature now. He’s very well-rounded. He can play inside, outside, both sides actually. He’s learning a lot from us and we’re learning a lot from him as well.”
If you’re an Alabama fan, that’s exactly what you want to hear about Latham.
Physically, the tools are already there. Size, strength, athleticism… he possesses all of it. His struggles, at least on tape, seem to be more mental. Some of that is simply being a freshman, while Cohen hints that some of it may have also come from not taking the correct approach.
Those are things that can be fixed.
For the second year in a row, there’s a path to playing time for Latham. Both starting tackles from a season ago — Evan Neal and Chris Owens — are gone. That doesn’t mean that Latham will play tackle, but he’s a strong candidate to start somewhere.
Expect those positive steps forward to continue for him.
