Parker Brailsford leading larger group of Alabama OL who have spent time snapping
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Chris Kapilovic learned his lesson at North Carolina.
Now Alabama’s offensive line coach, Kapilovic watched as three centers suffered injuries in a week’s time in Chapel Hill. He thought having four players with experience at center would be good enough, but the unexpected happened, leaving the Tar Heels in a bind.
“I said that’s it. From now on, I’m training 8-10 guys,” Kapilovic said. “Plus, for them and their futures, it’s huge. It’s one of the first questions I hear from an NFL scout – can he snap? I can say yes, they’ve been doing it. Even if they’re not doing live scenarios, and then when they grab them in their pro days or whatever, then it’s nothing for them. So it’s good for all of us.”
The four interior linemen who left Alabama’s program this offseason all had spent time at the center position during their Crimson Tide careers. Three left after the 2023 season, and James Brockermeyer chose to transfer following spring practice, ending up at TCU.
Alabama landed a key transfer in Parker Brailsford, who followed Kalen DeBoer and company from Washington, but Kapilovic is making sure multiple players can snap the football. Another transfer, Geno VanDeMark, has worked at center with the second team early in fall camp, and the same can be said for Roq Montgomery. Kapilovic also said Olaus Alinen, Joseph Ionata and William Sanders have all taken time to get snaps in this preseason.
Even a player like Tyler Booker, who is a proven starter at left guard, is getting ready.
“I have in the summer,” Booker said. “Not so much in the fall just because we already have 6-8 guys snapping the ball, so that gives me time to work on my position at guard. But at the next level, you need to be able to play three positions. I feel like I have tackle under my belt, I can definitely play guard and being able to play center is the next step.
“So I’ll definitely get some snaps in as we go further into camp.”
Although multiple players are learning how to snap, Brailsford will be Alabama’s starter when the 2024 season kicks off. He started every game of Washington’s 2023 campaign, beginning the season at guard before moving to center in Week 3 and anchoring the Huskies’ Joe Moore Award-winning line through the national title game against Michigan.
Brailsford went through the first part of spring practice before missing time due to non-football related things. But he was back with the team this summer and has participated in fall camp as the No. 1 center. And his head coach for the last two years has been impressed.
OL Parker Brailsford (Courtesy of UA Athletics)
“He knows the offense, so there’s a lot of people looking to him to come up with a solution on where it all starts,” DeBoer said. “He’s pointing out the linebacker that they’re blocking to or the protection that’s going to be set. He’s confident that way, and those guys feel that.
“And then it’s really cool seeing a guy like Book, who just eats, sleeps and breathes this program and wants nothing but for it to be great. And him just rubbing off as Parker shows him and helps him, he helps him back. It’s fun seeing the pride that that unit is developing.
“Just walking into here just now and walking by them and some extra things that they’re doing, player-led, just because they don’t want to just get it right, they want to be great at it.”
Booker followed up, “Parker makes my job a lot easier at guard. Hip and hip on some blocks, giving the right calls. Parker’s great, so just to be able to play next to him is a real blessing.”
Not only has Brailsford helped his new teammates, he’s also been big to his new coach.
“Especially when we first got here,” Kapilovic said. “When they first got here, before I even got here, Booker had him come over to the house and they were going over everything. And then the transition when Coach (Scott) Huff left and I came in, he was a valuable piece for me.
“It’s always really good to have somebody that has that experience in their offense, which is ours now.”
Brailsford’s knowledge of Alabama’s new offense is important, but so his ability to deliver the ball to Jalen Milroe, the Tide’s starting quarterback. That was an issue for UA last season with Seth McLaughlin’s struggles with bad snaps. There have been no reports of problems in that area early in camp, but it’s something Brailsford and Milroe are working on.
“As a whole, the foundation starts with the offensive line,” Milroe said. “But the offense goes between the quarterback and center exchange. It’s been very important to get the run checks down, get the passing game down as a whole because all we wanna do is just keep building and improving. And No. 1, it starts with communication. So between me and him, it’s very important.
“And to have this opportunity to have these reps in fall camp, that’s gonna lead to when we have to play Game 1, whenever that happens. So that’s been very important. It’s been good to have him.”
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