Alabama Football Recruiting 2023: Meet the New Guys – Offensive Line

Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken the time to break down all of the incoming Freshmen (and transfers) for Alabama at offensive positions. Now we’re going to complement the offense with players whose job it is to make it all possible, on the offensive line. Under Nick Saban, Alabama has built much of its success on the outside of the offensive line, and several different groups have won the Joe Moore Award over the last 15 years.

In 2021, we saw a big step back in the OL game, but things improved significantly in 2022…at least in pass protection. But with Tommy Rees as the new offensive coordinator, Alabama will look to emphasize run blocking going forward. And the sheer size of the Tide’s next crop of recruits reflects that desire.

As always, I’ll provide a brief summary of each player, all the information on his athletic profile (SPARQ is sadly dead), my thoughts on his attributes, and how I think he’ll fit into Alabama’s depth chart and chart. All rankings and heights/weights come from the 247Sports Composite because I think they do the best job of evaluating players. However, I will mention if any other service has a particularly different opinion about a certain player.

Wilkin Formby

As a Tuscaloosa native from Northridge High School, Formby should always have been a priority for the Tide as part of this class. At 6’7”, he has the prototypical lean left tackle build and is one of the top prospects in his class.

Play style

Formby is a player who plays with great excitement during and between games and displays an infectious energy that can rub off on teammates. As a run blocker, he makes excellent use of his long legs and arms to get downfield quickly as a pull blocker and lock onto a ragdoll smaller player on the field.

He also shows impressive poise and can roll close to the line of scrimmage to turn defensive linemen away from his ball carrier without losing his footing.

As a pass blocker, he has impressive lateral quickness and uses his hands well to cut off defensive linemen before they get to his grill.

In both areas, his height combined with his lighter weight make him vulnerable to bull raids and drop defenders. If they can get past his long arms, it can often be over for him.

Scheme Fit

Formby fits perfectly into the mold of most linemen used by Tommy Rees Our Lady. In fact, while most would see someone with measurables as a mere tackle, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rees even looked at his ability to pull and get downfield on outside drives.

Prediction

Since he’s under 300 pounds, I think it’s highly unlikely that Formby is an immediate starter or something. He will likely redshirt this year and aim to get around 310-315.

Lady Proctor

Proctor has been regarded for years as an up and coming superstar who can’t be missed, and it will be high. The NFL Draft choose within just a few years. He’s already 6’7” 330 and hails from the state of Iowa where giant NFL linemen seem to just grow on trees or something.

After originally committing to his hometown team to play for the Hawkeyes, Proctor ended up transferring to Alabama just before National Signing Day. Nick Saban pretty much made him his number one priority in the recruiting class, taking several private jets and helicopter rides to convince him to leave his home.

Play style

Unfortunately, there are very few videos available on Proctor, so I’m extrapolating this video more than usual. With pure power and nuclear power, Proctor is probably already almost at the level of NFL linemen. As he crouches down to absorb the blow, the incoming defender simply stops. There is no momentum transfer or anything that really makes sense in the laws of physics… They just stop.

And if he has room to move forward and get to defenders down the field? Well, they just fly backwards. Usually on him.

In pass blocking, he has impressive lateral quickness for his size, although he can get caught by twisting slightly out of position and grabbing/throwing the defender. It’s a fine line between a highlight block and a catch that translates into more catches with SEC speed defenders, so he’ll have to work on it.

However, it is awe-inspiring and terrifying to watch him physically throw passers-by in the air when they try to pass him.

Scheme Fit

Once you have a No. 1 player, you can fit him into any blocking scheme. However, I think he’s a little more suited to playing straight up and controlling the man in front of him instead of a zone blocking scheme.

Prediction

Many are already writing in Proctor on the first day of Alabama RT, and I can definitely see it. He’s definitely going to be in tough competition… Although I’m also personally pretty enamored with Elijah Pritchett’s chances of landing a spot in his second year. I think Proctor ends up being the 6th OL and gets a healthy dose of first team rotations this year before locking down a starting role at the end of the season.

Miles McVay

You thought the last two guys were big? What about Miles “Famous” McVay, now a svelte 358 pounds after previously being north of 370? A mountain of people has worked on the camp tracks and competed at the top level of soccer in the Midwest.

While he may lack the athleticism that makes NFL scouts drool, he makes up for it with sheer size and technical ability and experience.

Play style

While his size might lead you to think that McVay is purely a power blocker, his best attribute is actually his spatial awareness and play flow. He seems to have eyes in the back of his head and can pivot with his ball carrier to release a block at just the right moment to get a defender to shoot past the wrong side.

He just has a way of always being in the right place to be in the way.

He’s not the most balanced lineman and often his blocks end up launching himself forward. If he connects, it completely destroys himself and someone half his size. If he misses, it’s a bad wind. This can lead to a bit of roulette when using him as a force blocker.

As a pass blocker, he has a strong awareness of tackles and moves his feet faster than you would expect from someone his size.

Scheme Fit

McVay is likely better suited to a zone blocking scheme where he can use his brains and technique to set up defenders and create cut lanes for the running back. He has played mostly right tackle in high school, but I think he will likely be a guard at the college level.

Prediction

McVay will likely take a redshirt year in 2023. He doesn’t have the body and athleticism to compete in the SEC yet, and he has a lot of work to do in the strength and conditioning room this year.

Roq Montgomery

Montgomery caused some confusion when he enrolled at Alabama, as his name on all recruiting services was RyQueze McElderry. She decided to change her last name to her mother’s before enrolling, and she actually goes by Roq for her first name.

Either way, at over 340 pounds, he adds another massive body to the Crimson Tide’s offensive line and brings a bit of a space mentality.

Play style

When Montgomery wakes up the morning before the game, he chooses violence.

Put him on the line, point him at the defender in front of him, and one way or another things will end with the defender on the ground. He is built like a boulder and also rolls over and over defenders.

He doesn’t have a lot of pass blocking experience, but when it comes to short yardage, he’s your guy.

Scheme Fit

He definitely fits better in a strongman blocking scheme and will definitely be a pure guard at the college level.

Prediction

I don’t expect Montgomery to push for a spot on the depth chart this year unless it’s as a short yardage specialist.

Olaus Alinen

A native of Finland, Alinen moved to the United States before his junior year and is the son of a former NFL Europe offensive lineman who spent some time Atlanta Falcons‘ training group, so he has been training for the task for a very long time.

At 6’6” 315, he has the prototypical build for an offensive tackle and can also add a few pounds to his big frame and move inside if he wants to.

Play style

Alise has the fastest feet I’ve seen in an offensive lineman. He does an amazing job using it in his pass blocking as well as turning it into an explosive forward drive in run blocking. While he has trouble getting his hand(s) in place in time, his foot speed and pure athleticism/power often give him the block he needs anyway.

He can be a very annoying blocker for defensive linemen because he just pushes and pushes and pushes forward and gets a foothold on them, and many of his blocks continue. only past the whistle.

He’s lightning quick when moving laterally and can dart around behind other blockers to clear a hole on a lead block or pick off a flashy middle linebacker from his tackle.

Scheme Fit

Alinen is a versatile player who I think can play tackle or guard quite well, and if he learns to pass, I think would be the perfect center. I think he can also be quite versatile between zoning or power blocking.

Prediction

While I certainly don’t expect there to be much room for new players among the starting five (Latham, Booker, McLaughlin, and Dalcourt all return), I expect Alinen to end up on the 2-deep depth chart. utility player.

And while I’ve never heard anything to suggest he has any experience under center, I think he could definitely decide to focus there and end up a perennial starter at Alabama.