Concerns about Alabama football’s pass protection might be overblown

What former Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier used to name “speaking season,” that anticipatory summer season interval forward of faculty soccer, has simply gotten began right here in mid-June. And the first matter that is surfaced in Tuscaloosa, at the very least by my antenna, is the Crimson Tide offensive line’s means to go shield.

I have been requested about it within the grocery retailer, my e-mail inbox, and a canine park, amongst different locations, maybe not stunning given the benefit with which Alabama’s first-team protection notched 10 sacks on A-Day.

The annual spring scrimmage wasn’t an altogether honest setting to evaluate go safety for quite a lot of causes, not the least of which was {that a} hand on a quarterback’s jersey was all it took for a sack to go within the A-Day books.

Untimely hand-wringing apart, it is equally related to think about the pass-rushing firepower of the scheduled opposition. And based mostly on final season, it is missing on the entire.

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Listed here are the three most achieved edge rushers on Alabama’s schedule:

1. Derick Corridor, Auburn. He is fully legit, and no Crimson Tide offensive lineman ought to overlook that he sacked Bryce Younger 3 times in final 12 months’s Iron Bowl.

2. Byron Younger, Tennessee. In his first SEC season as a juco switch, he tied for the group lead with 5.5 sacks, and there is extra potential there to untap.

3. Take your choose amongst Mississippi State’s Tyrus Wheat, Ole Miss’ Cedric Johnson or LSU’s B.J. Ojulari, who generated stable manufacturing however feasted on non-conference competitors for a lot of it.

Among the many 5 aforementioned go rushers, not one in every of them will take the sector towards Alabama within the first half of the season. Actually, UA will not should take care of a longtime, confirmed go rusher your complete month of September. That is important, if for no different motive than it might give Alabama a prolonged runway to self-assess and enhance earlier than taking over the most effective quarterback hunters it’ll face.

What in regards to the September street date with Texas, you say?

The Longhorns did not have a go rusher log three sacks all season final 12 months. It is chief, former Alabama linebacker Ben Davis, notched 2.5 after transferring for his final season of eligibility. Shockingly sufficient, Texas additionally failed to draw a confirmed go rusher from the switch portal, regardless of that being this system’s most obvious concern. You’d suppose a wide-open alternative to hurry the passer for a program as high-profile because the Longhorns, in a pass-happy league just like the Huge 12, would trigger a Texas-sized portal stampede, however that is for one more column.

After all, Georgia’s wrecking ball of a defensive deal with, Jalen Carter, might await Alabama in December if the 2 meet within the SEC title sport for the third time in 5 years. The purpose, nonetheless, is that in a convention the place go rushers are usually each fearsome and plentiful, Alabama’s schedule units up exceptionally effectively on this regard.

Star gamers all should, in some unspecified time in the future, emerge from obscurity. And because the season unfolds, there will definitely be a couple of SEC go rushers who do exactly that. In the event you noticed former Alabama DL Quinnen Williams’ dominant sophomore 12 months coming the summer season earlier than it occurred, elevate your hand. Maybe this will likely be a breakout 12 months for LSU’s Ali Gaye, a gifted edge rusher whose 2021 season was reduce brief by harm.

Speaking season is going on on each campus.

And whereas Alabama followers may surprise how a lot time quarterback Bryce Younger must throw, discuss most all over the place else should surprise if opponents may have what it takes to get to him.

Attain Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Observe on Twitter @chasegoodbread