Position Week: What’s changed, stayed the same for Alabama’s defensive line

BamaOnLine is spending the summer months breaking down the various position groups on Alabama’s 2023 roster leading up to the start of fall camp in August. After deep-diving into the Crimson Tide’s quarterbacks, running backs, pass-catchers and offensive line over the last few weeks, we have now shifted our focus to the defensive side of the football.

To continue DL week, we’re looking at what’s changed and what’s stayed the same with Alabama’s unit from a season ago.

What’s changed

Alabama has two vacant spots at or near the top of its defensive line depth chart with Byron Young and DJ Dale now gone. Those guys combined for almost to 3,000 snaps and 60 starts over the past four years, including 918 snaps and 13 starts in 2022 alone.

Yes, Dale went from starting double-digit games in each of his first three seasons to not starting any this past year, but he still maintained a healthy share of snaps with 370 (he averaged 364 over his first three years). Young, on the other hand, doubled his career starts. After getting 13 over his first three years, he matched that number with 13 (giving him 26 total) this past season. He also played a career-high 548 snaps while having to handle a larger share of the inside-out snaps after Justin Eboigbe’s season-ending injury in Week 4.

They were both good, reliable players — especially Young — but Alabama’s defensive line room remains in good shape. In fact, some would argue that it could be in even better with certain players being more seasoned. Plus, you’ve got the arrival of several impressive freshmen, including five-star James Smith. Here’s a look at the foursome Alabama signed during the 2023 recruiting cycle:

James Smith: 5-star / No. 24 / DL3Jordan Renaud: 4-star / No. 71 / DL11Edric Hill: 4-star / No. 172 / DL17Hunter Osborne: 4-star / No. 174 / DL18

Smith is the most likely immediate contributor from this bunch. He brings size (6-foot-3, 296 pounds) and the flexibility to play all along Alabama’s defensive front. Plus, he brings the most well-rounded skill set of all the true interior guys. I also think Renaud has tremendous long-term upside as a power player who can set the edge against the run and rush from the passer from inside or out. It might take more time for him to grow into that type of impact defender, but he’s fully capable.

Hill and Osborne have likable traits, too.

So if you’ve been keeping up, Alabama had only lost Young and Dale while replacing them with four quality freshmen. In other words, ample experience was lost, but the numbers go deeper now and there was more long-term upside. Those things remain true, but the departure of Jamil Burroughs adds another wrinkle to the equation. The fourth-year defensive lineman was a late addition to the transfer portal last week, and now there’s another spot opening in Alabama’s rotation.

Soon after that news broke, we talked about two players who should benefit from his departure. While Burroughs had only played 252 snaps in his career, we were projecting him to have a much bigger role on defense. Losing a player with his level of upside, especially at this point in the offseason, should never be considered a good thing, but Alabama does have the pieces to avoid any potential fallout from that loss. We’ll just have to wait and see how those pieces come together this fall.

What’s stayed the same

For the first month of 2022, Alabama’s top five DL contributors were Young, Dale, Eboigbe, Tim Smith and then freshman Jaheim Oatis. Of course, Young and Dale are now gone, but the other three return. And in many ways, you can make a strong argument that the returning trio ate mostly the best from that bunch. Young is certainly in that conversation too, but the two best players in that group — at least when healthy — are Oatis and Eboigbe.

At 6-5, 330 pounds, Oatis brings a strong blend of space-eating and disruptive traits. Meanwhile, Eboigbe (6-5, 292) is the perfect inside-out player who can produce against the run from the edge and move inside for passing situations. The importance of his return for a fifth and final season cannot be overstated. Smith hasn’t brought as much balance between being a run defender and pass rusher (he’s a lot stronger as a run defender), but he’s been another steady presence.

Alabama also brings back a strong duo of complementary players, which includes Jah-Marien Latham and Damon Payne. Latham is more of your 5 or 4i end who offers another interior option on passing downs. We saw him play a major role in replacing Eboigbe in the Cheetah package. Payne is more effective playing anywhere from 3 to a 0-tech nose. They’ll continue to provide quality rotational snaps. Then, there are others such as Monkell Goodwine, Tim Keenan, Anquin Barnes, Isaiah Hastings and Khurtiss Perry returning to fill out the depth.

All of those guys — on top of the return of defensive line coach Freddie Roach — gives Alabama enough continuity with this position group. As is the case with a lot of units on this roster, there’s a nice blend of experience, ascending talent and long-term options. More true star power needs to emerge outside or Oatis, but even getting someone like James Smith as a second interior disruptor would go a long way.

What’s changed

What’s stayed the same

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