[Jimmydafreak]

Originally posted on 07/31/2013:

I've been watching Alabama football longer than many of you have been here on God's earth. The 2012 offensive line is probably the best group that I can remember. John Hannah back in the early 70s is the best O lineman to ever play in Tuscaloosa in my opinion. Got a chance to talk to John recently and he thinks this year's O-line will be just fine. He said Bama is just going through a reloading phase. Just young, talented players who have paid their dues moving into prominent roles. He thinks this is a very talented line and if they develop the chemistry necessary that separates the average from the good...then this year's edition will be just fine. He added that Saban doesn't seem to worried about these guys. With the backfield and receivers available this year...don't sell these guys short my friends.

I'll add a bit of commentary to your well written post if I may.

First of all John Hannah knows much more about offensive line play than you or I ever will, so I respect his opinion as much as you seemingly do. But in my defense, I attended all of the spring scrimmage games, as well as three regular practices. Thus, my opinion is not based upon something written in a Phil Steele tome, it is based on firsthand personal observation.

First of all, saying that the new additions to the line are "young" is not exactly accurate. Two of the newcomers are entering their 4th season, and one of them is entering his 3rd season. All have real game experience.

And while the accomplishments of Barrett Jones during his time at the University of Alabama are legendary, he was basically a jock of all trades, and the master of none. That's why he dropped to the 4th round of the NFL draft. Center is probably Barrett's natural position, but he had never actually played the position until his senior season. His replacement Ryan Kelly, on the other hand, has always specialized at playing center, and the coaches I have spoken to think he's a better center right now than Barrett. In fact, Kelly actually helped teach Barrett the position. Ryan Kelly is a special talent who will ultimately go higher in the draft than Barrett Jones.

The other two guys who are stepping into starting roles is future 1st round pick Cyrus Kouandjio's brother Arie (LG), and Austin Shepherd (RT). While neither of them will be quite as dominant in the run game as Chance Warmack and DJ Fluker were, both are outstanding linemen who will soon be playing on Sundays.

RT Austin Sheppard is a hell of a run blocker and very underrated in his ability to pass protect. The only concern about him is whether his shoulders are going to hold up. From what I saw, I think he'll be fine.

That's not to say that D.J. Fluker won't be missed because he certainly will. He is going to be missed not so much because of what he did at right tackle, but because of his leadership. Fluker was the guy that got the team ready before practice and games. Fluker was an extremely hard worker who brought it every single day.

All three of the new starters are huge as you would expect. Center Ryan Kelly is 6'5" and 290 lbs (huge for a center). Arie Kouandjio and Austin Shepherd are both 6'5" and 315 lbs.

The two holder overs on the offensive line are LT Cyrus Kouandjio who is a 1st round lock, and Anthony Steen who is projected to be a 2nd to 3rd round selection.

The offensive line got a huge shot in the arm when Saban was able to pull Mario Cristobal from Miami. Cristobal had accepted the defensive coordinator position at Miami when Saban came calling. Jeff Stoutland obviously did a great job with the previous two offensive lines (both won national championships), but Stoutland is no Mario Cristobal. Cristobal is an outstanding offensive line coach and recruiter. Based on what I saw, the players really respect him, and love playing for him.

Big John Hannah mentioned chemistry, and chemistry is the key to the success of any offensive line. All offensive lines blow assignments from time-to-time, and this one will be no exception. But from what I saw in the spring (and I'll update when I watch the fall scrimmages), I don't think chemistry is going to be a huge issue for this group.

You are absolutely correct when you say that Saban and staff are very comfortable with the new offensive line, and that alone speaks volumes about how good they are. Overall, this offensive line obviously won't be as good as last year's version, but they'll be pretty darn close. They'll be close enough to be one of the top 5 offensive lines in the country IMO.