Nick Saban explains Tyler Booker's move back to left guard
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama changed things up along the offensive line this past week in an effort to find the best combination of players up front ahead of the start of the 2023 season.
Tyler Booker, who spent the spring and most of the preseason at right guard, moved over to left guard. That was most likely in an effort to help freshman Kadyn Proctor, who has been working at left tackle with the first group of late and he opened Saturday’s scrimmage there. Head coach Nick Saban confirmed that theory when he spoke to reporters after the game-like practice.
“I think it’s made a lot of improvement,” Saban said of the left side of the offensive line. “Basically, we moved some guys around to try and get a balance of experience a little bit more. (Booker) played left guard last year. He was playing right guard, but we moved him back to left guard. I think that’s helped the left tackles who are less experienced, somebody that’s got more experience, more confidence, can make calls, can help them with their communication.
“That doesn’t mean it’s the way it’s going to be, but that’s one thing that has helped, to some degree, on that side of the line.”
The rest of the first offensive line consisted of Seth McLaughlin at center, Darrian Dalcourt at right guard and JC Latham at right tackle to begin scrimmage No. 2. Booker and Latham had spent most of the offseason working beside each other, and as former high school teammates, their chemistry was strong. Latham described the benefits of playing beside Booker.
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“I know he’s gonna be there,” Latham said. “Sometimes we don’t even have to say anything because we know how it’s gonna go. We don’t really have to necessarily communicate because we’re already in sync, just like that. When we’re out there playing, it’s all fluid and it’s all in one motion.”
Alabama has seven players that it views as starters on the offensive line, Saban said earlier in fall camp, with Terrence Ferguson and Elijah Pritchett rounding out that group. Ferguson and Dalcourt have been competing at the guard position opposite Booker, and Proctor and Pritchett are competing at left tackle. To open both of the Tide’s closed scrimmages, Proctor has been the left tackle with the first-team offense and has been developing “really well.”
“He has all the physical attributes that you want in an offensive lineman here at the University of Alabama,” Booker said. “The thing with Kadyn, he just has to put the technique together. That’ll come along with camp. Fall camp is about development – physically, obviously, but we’re also developing a mindset that we’re going to run the ball on you and be dominant.
“We’re going to drop back and pass the ball and make sure that whoever’s back at quarterback is going untouched. We’re just trying to develop that mindset with Kadyn. He’s taking all the right strides toward being a contributor on this offensive line. It’s just going to take time to develop.”
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