How Are Alabama OL Battles Progressing?

Alabama is tasked with finding two replacements for 2024 starters Tyler Booker and Elijah Pritchett. Booker was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, while Pritchett departed Alabama for Nebraska in the transfer portal.

Get our free mobile app

Texas A&M transfer Kam Dewberry and second-year Michigan State transfer Geno VanDeMark are the prime candidates for the left guard position, but are battling one another in their final years of eligibility. How is the competition going on the second day of camp?

"[Kam] Dewberry and Geno [VanDeMark] have been battling it out over there, primarily. Both those guys, Kam has done a really good job of being mobile and physical at the point of attack. Geno is a super-savvy player," Grubb said. "Can play all over the place, can snap a ball, play center, play guard. I think the physicality piece is going to be a big part.

"Playing next to (Kadyn Proctor) takes a little heat off of them, just as far as where they're at. But it also, you can look at it in terms of, it might put some pressure on them too, because that's the side where we're going to want to be able to be aggressive and go after people."

Wilkin Formby took starting reps at right tackle during the spring, and outside of missing a couple of spring practices due to illness, hasn't relinquished the starting right tackle position. Is Formby the clear starter at right tackle?

"I think right now he has. He's done a good job. I thought he had a good spring and played through some injuries, and he's getting healthy now, and I think he's done a good job," Grubb said. "He's a smart player. He's learned how to play with the strength that he's acquired. I think he's a much more physical player than he was last year. He did a ton of work with Coach Ballou in terms of changing his body type.

You can watch Ryan Grubb's full press conference here.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.