Seth McLaughlin looks back on Alabama career, talks adjustments on snaps

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Seth McLaughlin is one of 23 seniors who will be recognized ahead of Alabama’s home finale on Saturday, Nov. 18. The Crimson Tide’s starting center admitted “it’s pretty crazy” how quickly his college career has flown by but has immensely enjoyed it.

“Playing at Alabama has been an incredible blessing for me, just personally and football-wise,” McLaughlin said Monday. “A lot of hard work has gone into it. It’s the biggest blessing that I’ve ever had. I’m super thankful for Coach (Nick) Saban believing in an undersized, 6-3, 260-pound center from Buford, Ga., all those years ago. 

“Coming in as the lowest-ranked recruit in the class, it’s meant a lot to me to put the work in and show people that through hard work, you can play here and play at a high level.”

McLaughlin arrived at Alabama as a 3-star recruit out of Buford High School and was ranked as the nation’s 24th-best interior offensive lineman and No. 441 overall prospect in the 2020 class, per the On3 Industry Rankings. After playing in just one game as a true freshman in 2020, McLaughlin stepped into a first-team role at Auburn and went on to start the final three games of the 2021 postseason against Georgia, Cincinnati and then Georgia again.

“The beginning of my career was trial by fire,” McLaughlin said. “My first meaningful snaps came in the second half of the Iron Bowl, the four-overtime win, and that was a crazy experience for a redshirt freshman. I was the third-string center going into the day, then having to play meaningful snaps, it was crazy.

“The next week, going to play Georgia, my first start in the SEC Championship Game, that was crazy to me. But I proved to myself that I belonged and that I could play here.” 

McLaughlin continued, “When you go through hard times, you kind of look back on it like, OK, if I was able to do this, then I can do that again. It helps you get through the ebbs and flows of the season. Going through practice, you’re going up against incredible players. 

“There will be a week when they learn something new and you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, am I bad at football?’ Then the next week, you learn something new and learn how to beat them. Having those experiences to fall back on and remind you that you can do this meant a lot.”

McLaughlin went on to start eight games as a junior in 2022 and has started all 10 games of this season leading up to Saturday’s Senior Day ceremony. But McLaughlin has had struggles this fall, particularly with snapping the ball to quarterback Jalen Milroe. That was a problem early on for the veteran offensive lineman but has since looked better on the exchange.

“I just changed my grip, and it’s been more consistent,” McLaughlin said. “I went to the dead-ball snap. I think the inaccurate snaps have been cleaned up a little bit. That’s still a thing I’m trying to work on, just cleaning up the snaps in practice and in the game. Just putting an emphasis on how important it is to get the ball in Milroe’s hands and let him go to work and do what he’s so good at.”

McLaughlin is technically a redshirt junior, having played in just one game in 2020, and he could come back for not only one but two more years by using a free COVID season. While he didn’t reveal his future plans, the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree did share where things stand with his pursuit of a second degree at Alabama.

“I’m really just focused on the next four games,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t know what the future holds for me. Whatever we have left this season, I’m going to give my all. Right now, I’m finishing up my master’s degree in December. My master’s is in sport hospitality management, and my undergrad is in finance, and I’ll have all that done in four years.”

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