The View Back To Look Ahead

The year was 2001. Alabama had just finished a season most of us wanted to forget. I remember talking to my old roommate about the prospects for Alabama that year and as always the analysis started with the offensive line. That year, two redshirt freshman came out of nowhere to win starting jobs. 

One was a lightly recruited guy from Homewood named Evan Mathis. The other was an Auburn fan whom Auburn didn’t want, Wesley Britt.

That fall, we were wondering what would come from a team that let two inexperienced redshirt freshman win starting jobs, but these two guys brought a tenacity to the position we hadn’t seen in a while and though the team struggled to mid season they hit their stride late and ripped off four straight victories including a 31-7 beat down of Auburn, that would be the last iron bowl victory we would see until just recently.

At season end, I remembered thinking how the offensive line had started as a weakness and finished as strength. Both Mathis and Britt continued on to the NFL and we are hopeful that the 2009 season will bring us more success stories like this.

Ever good line starts with the two hardest positions to fill, left tackle and center.

The following are my guesses as to the most likely candidates to fill those positions.

True Freshman D.J. Fluker, 6’7”, 325. The legend of D.J. Fluker is growing similarly to the legend of Mt. Cody last fall. If these two guys were to walk into a Chinese buffet together, the owner would likely pass out. You could use this guys old shoes to grow tomatos.

Fluker had trouble with the speed rush at the Army all star game but by all accounts this was partially due to the twisted knee he acquired during practice. Most reports indicated Fluker was possibly the most dominating player there. It’s rare for any true freshman to start at left tackle, but Fluker may just be someone who could.

James Carpenter, 6’5”, 305lbs. Originally from Augusta, GA, Carpenter went the Jr. College route to Coffeyville community college, where he won first team all conference honors.

Carpenter will arrive at Alabama this spring and will be a Jr. this fall. Most believe he would not have been signed if the staff didn’t think he could make a serious push for a starting job. If Carpenter doesn’t win the left tackle job, it’s a good bet he could wind up staring at right guard or possibly gun for right tackle. 

John Michael Boswell, 6’5”, 300lbs. Boswell was the most lightly regarded of the three lineman signed in the 2008 class but after injuries benched the other two freshman Boswell who is a local product from Northport excelled.

I am of the opinion that even though it was a risk we may have been better off slotting him into Andre’s spot against Utah. I can’t imagine he would have done worse than Davis.

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