Alabama’s 3 Biggest Holes to Fill on Offense

Spring practice has arrived, which means it's time for avid Alabama football fans to get their final fix before the 2014 season kicks off against West Virginia. With stars leaving for the NFL draft, many holes are left unfilled, giving young players the opportunity to step up and show off their abilities. The three main positions that need to be filled are quarterback, left tackle, and right Guard.

 Quarterback

AJ McCarron left Alabama with a legacy of one of the winningest quarterbacks in college football history. Due to the importance of the position along with McCarron’s ample success, he left some of the biggest shoes to fill on the Alabama roster.

Competing for the job will be last year’s second-string QB Blake Sims, redshirt freshmen Cooper Bateman and Parker Mcleod, redshirt sophomore Alec Morris, early enrollee David Cornwell, and Florida State transfer Jacob Coker, who will arrive in the Fall. With a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Lane Kiffin, all of the QBs have a clean slate to see how fast they can pick up and execute the new offense.

Out of all of the quarterbacks competing the only two with any on-field experience are Sims and Coker. Last season Sims was 18-29 for 167 yards and 2 touchdowns, compared to Coker's 18-36 for 250 yards and an interception. Even these two, who are considered to be the experienced QBs of the group, have only seen playing time during mop up duty.

Sims will have a head start over Coker in learning the new offense, since Coker will not arrive until after he graduates from Florida State. One of the big questions regarding Sims is if he will be able to make all of the throws asked of him, or if the coaching staff will consider altering the offense to better fit his more mobile skill set. Coker on the other hand has a big time arm and is more prototypical of an Alabama quarterback, last season he took the quarter back battle with now heisman winner Jameis Winston down to the wire.

Bateman, Mcleod, and Morris are all in similar boats being in the program for a year, or in Morris’s case two, and having not yet seen the field. Out of the three, Bateman was the most highly touted out of high school, being rated the number four pro-style pocket passer by 247Sports. Although Morris hasn’t had much hype around him, he did have the most impressive A-day game last year of the quarterbacks remaining on the roster.

David Cornwell is another big-armed quarterback. Although he was also rated the 4th best pro-style pocket passer in his class, he also has the capability to get out of the pocket and scramble to extend plays. That, along with his 6-5 frame, has gained him some Ben Roethlisberger comparisons. While Cornwell has the advantage of enrolling early and learning the offense, he is coming off of a knee injury that cut his senior season short. We will have to wait and see how quickly he can bounce back.

The QB’s will be competing all throughout spring practice to get an upper-hand  in the competition. Although the coaching staff may narrow down the candidates don’t expect the competition to end this spring. The battle will continue into fall camp and possibly even into the season to give Coker his shot at the job.

Left Tackle and Right Guard

Alabama has a history of producing overpowering offensive lineman. The only down side is that with such a high demand for offensive lineman in the NFL, they typically leave for the draft before using up their four years of eligibility.

Cyrus Kouandjio, who left Alabama as a junior, and Anthony Steen, who was a senior, left gaping holes in the offensive line. Luckily, there is a long list of former blue-chip recruits waiting for a chance to shine. Although different skill sets and body types are required for different offensive line positions, they are very similar and the coaching staff can mix and match to get the best five players on the field.

Grant Hill, Leon Brown, Cam Robinson, Dominick Jackson, and possibly Brandon Greene will all be vying for the starting left tackle position. Brandon Greene was moved from left tackle to tight end last year as a blocker in obvious run situations, but could be considered with the spot opening up.

Grant Hill pushed Austin Shepherd for playing time at right tackle last season as a true freshman. If Hill continues to improve he could take over at right tackle, in which case Austin Shepherd may be moved to right guard. Grant, who was recruited as a guard, could also play right guard if the coaching staff chooses to leave Shepherd at tackle.

Another viable option at right guard is Leon Brown, who filled in for injured Anthony Steen during the Sugar Bowl.

True freshmen generally don't see the field on Alabama's offensive line, but Cameron Robinson could be the exception. He was the highest rated offensive lineman in this year's recruiting class and could be in consideration for starting left tackle.

The Crimson Tide certainly aren't lacking for options on the offensive line. No matter what combination of lineman end up on the field it will be a skilled bunch. All of the depth on the line will help spur competition, if a starter slacks off he'll be looking over his shoulder the next week to see who is coming to take his spot. With the physical nature of linemen, it also doesn't hurt to have talent ready in case of an injury.

While the season doesn't get started until August, Spring Practice is a great opportunity to see who can make the biggest impression, and to see if they can get their name in the hat for a starting spot when the season rolls around.