College Football 2011 Spring Review: Alabama Offensive Line & the Running Game

No area was more disappointing last season than the Alabama rushing attack which featured two of the nation's better running backs and couldn't do much of anything.   Alabama's A-Day game marked a chance to see what has been done about it.

With a new offensive line coach comes some experimentation.  While some changes we saw could end up permanent, some may not.

First priority this spring was to find a new starter at left tackle.  Alabama signed a junior college player Aaron Douglas in hopes that he would lock that down but it didn't happen. Saturday two year starting guard Barrett Jones started with the ones at left tackle while Douglas started with the twos.  

Douglas appeared to struggle especially when bull rushed.  His 270 lbs is simply not enough to hold the line in the SEC.  He will have time to add bulk but if he doesn't I expect Jones will be our man at left tackle unless Cyrus Kouandjio is all world when he arrives.

Jones played well at tackle.  He's been a guard but at 6' 5" and 311 he certainly has the size to play tackle.  A move to tackle will just continue to raise his stock to the NFL guys who love drafting versatility.

Chance Warmack entered the spring with a big bull's eye on his back and he has survived entrenched at left guard.  Hopefully the inconsistency that plagued him last season is a memory.

Center William Vlachos was his usual self except for the bad snap at the goal line that cost the red team a 14 point swing.

It may have escaped most fans, but notice that the debuted of second string center Kellen Williams ended with zero bad snaps.  Ask Florida fans how much they would have liked to have seen that last year.  

Kellen Williams and freshman Chad Lindsay will be battling all year to replace Vlachos when the senior departs.  I'd say round one goes to Williams.

Anthony Steen got the start with the ones at right guard.  His development has given the staff the option of using an experienced player at left tackle rather than a first year starter.    The Clarksdale Mississippi product has surprised many with his quick ascent up the depth chart.  Steen was rated a 3-star recruit by Rivals in 2009.

DJ Fluker played part of the game and appeared to slightly injure his foot when Hightower bull rushed him into the backfield.  

Arie Kouandjio who is apparently the third string right tackle replaced Fulker and I believe outplayed second team tackle Austin Shepherd,  and did so against Dont'a Hightower and other starters.  I rarely say the coaches are wrong but from what I saw big brother Kouandjio isn't third string.  

Clearly Alabama has more overall ability at offensive line than a year ago.  It is worth noting that two of the nation's better junior college defensive lineman along with several experienced Alabama backups did not crush the second team offensive line as I have seen in the past.

Even with this evidence the jury will remain out on the offensive line until they prove they can restore the run game to the effectiveness that has been Alabama's trademark.

Several running backs saw duty Saturday.  Superstar Trent Richardson's play screams "Put me down for the Heisman List."

Richardson lead the team in both rushing and receiving.  When he was on the field even the starting defense struggled to keep him under control, and failed to do so on several plays.

Richardson did as much damage in the passing game as taking snaps out of the backfield and I expect that to be a recurring theme in 2011.

The number two runner is clearly Eddie Lacy who has separated himself from the rest as the running partner to Richardson.  

Lacy's big issue in the past has been fumbling.  He did not fumble the ball,  he made better choices on when to spin and when to lower his head and get yards, and he caught a very good pass deep on the sideline.  

His addition of physical running ability is proof positive that the weight he added this past year isn't from eating McDonald's Hamburgers. This season should take Lacy from a name mainly Alabama fans know to a name people around the nation become familiar with.

The third guy I noticed was Demetrius Hart.   Many of us wondered many times,  What if Javier Arenas were on offense?   I think we are about to find out.

Hart reminds me of Arenas in both size, moves, speed and quickness.  Hart is simply electric when the ball is in his hands.  He's small and lacks the strength to break tackles but he's just arrived in the program and has nowhere to go but up. ESPN commenter's called him a "Mini-Trent".

Nick Saban said he would love to have the guts to put Hart back returning kicks.  At A-Day Hart showed why by mishandling one of the kicks in the red zone.  He avoided the turnover but its clear he's not ready for that just yet.

He did get some quality carries with the first team and showed explosive speed.  He proved in the second half that if you don't get your claws on him inside the box, you're in trouble.  He circled the right edge and was standing in the end zone for a touchdown before most could turn around.

Clearly Hart is a player coach Saban likes and plans to use in multiple ways.  Don't expect him to carry much load early but as the season wears on look for them to sneak him on the field more and more.

Jumbo back Jalston Fowler got a look as did the other backs in the fold, Demetrius Goode and Corey Grant.  Grant in particular is very fast.  I'm still not sure if running back is his final destination.

The spring game isn't much of a showcase of the running game but the line appears to have moved past the inexperience and apathy that cost Alabama so dearly in 2010.  

Next season I expect to see Richardson and Lacy tote the rock for the bulk of the carries, with Hart being worked in as a third down option.  I believe Fowler will be used in some situations,  especially in short yardage.  Fowler is a good option against a tired opponent in the forth quarter.

Alabama will want to mix in runners in the first half of the season so that Richardson and Lacy aren't too beat up for the long arduous push to the SEC championship game in Atlanta.