As fall camp started for Alabama football, the right side of the offensive line seemed set.

JC Latham at right tackle and Tyler Booker at right guard. The pairing had formed one of the strongest duos in the SEC entering the preseason, and it appeared as if the Crimson Tide would need to sort out the rest of its line around them. Yet, following Alabama’s first fall scrimmage, head coach Nick Saban questioned if the room had enough bodies capable of “playing winning football.”

A week after raising the concern, Saban revealed a possible solution: Booker would revert to left guard, spreading the talent along the line and slotting veteran and former starter Darrion Dalcourt next to Latham.

“Basically, we moved some guys around to try and get a balance of experience a little bit more,” Saban told reporters in Bryant-Denny Stadium’s media room. ” … I think that’s helped the left tackles who are less experienced, somebody that’s got more experience, more confidence, can make calls, can help them with their communication. That doesn’t mean it’s the way it’s going to be, but that’s one thing that has helped, to some degree, on that side of the line.”

The move was teased in the practice footage released by UA Athletics throughout the week. It’s also a change from the last time the Tide practiced publically. During the fan day open practice on Aug. 5, redshirt freshman Elijah Pritchett and true freshman Kadyn Proctor worked at left tackle, with Proctor getting a majority of first-team reps after Pritchett left the field with an injury.

At guard then was Terrence Ferguson II, a redshirt sophomore who registered 53 snaps last season. Saban noted on Aug. 9 that Ferguson was one of the six or seven possible starters. On Saturday, reports had Ferguson working with the second-team unit.

Meanwhile, Seth McLaughlin remained at center. Like other areas of the team, Saban said the line, specifically the left side, has made “a lot of improvement.”

Saban said of Prcotor and Pritchett: “How are they competing? What’s their maturity level relative to, they have ability? How can they sustain the grind of not making mental errors, staying focused on the things that they need to do to improve, whether it’s fundamental technique or knowledge of assignment? And that’s what we want to continue to focus on. I think both those guys (Pritchett and Ferguson) have ability.”

Booker and other members of the line have discussed upholding the “Alabama standard” in 2023 with a more aggressive, run-first mindset. That’ll be on display for the first time against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 2 a week before being tested against Texas.

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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].