DeBoer’s ’24 Tide Has 4 All-Americans

Here in Tuscaloosa, football season never ends. It seems things are that way also in Bristol, CT, home to ESPN. Nick Saban's pal Chris Low has put his Way-Too-Early All-America team for the 2024 football season.

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Two Alabama players made the first-team  on Low's list. Veteran Mike  Linebacker Deontae Lawson will quarterback the defense of Kane Wommack. Lawson was also named last year to this squad.

Meanwhile, brand new center Parker Brailsford anchors Low's first-team offense. A Washington transfer who made second team All Pac 12, Brailsford committed to his former coach Kalen DeBoer Saturday.

“Brailsford was one of the top run-blocking centers in college football last season at Washington, and he’s following coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama,” wrote Low in the Wednesday morning story. “He had the nation’s fourth highest run-blocking grade by Pro Football Focus as part of a group that won the Joe Moore Award as the top offensive line in the nation. He started two games at right guard and 13 at center and will be key addition in the middle of the Crimson Tide O-line.”

Lawson will be a redshirt junior. He played in and started 11 games this past season, missing three contests with an injury. Lawson finished second on the '23 Tide team with 67 tackles and had 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, four pass breakups and four hurries.

Two other Alabama players were second-team selections by ESPN, including rising junior offensive guard Tyler Booker and punter James Burnip, an NFL prospect who has improved annually.

One former Tide player was named to the first team – safety Caleb Downs. Downs has transferred to Ohio State. He was a Freshman All-American his lone season at UA.

Speaking of Ohio State, the Buckeyes led all teams with four first-team selections. Georgia and Michigan each had three.

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