For the fourth year in a row, Alabama will have a new starter at left tackle.

After Jonah Williams and Alex Leatherwood held the position for two years apiece, Evan Neal had the job in 2021 before being a top-10 NFL Draft pick. Tyler Steen transferred in from Vanderbilt a year ago before going in the third round. Each came with extensive experience, something Alabama’s potential 2023 starter won’t possess.

Left tackle is one of the many undecided positions ahead of Saturday’s Week 1 kickoff against Middle Tennessee. It’ll be either redshirt freshman Elijah Pritchett or true freshman Kadyn Proctor. The last time a freshman started for Nick Saban at left tackle was in 2014.

Then a top-rated recruit named Cam Robinson burst into Tuscaloosa and protected the blindside of the Tide’s quarterbacks for three years straight. In recent weeks, reports and player comments have hinted that Proctor, a five-star recruit from Iowa, might be attempting to follow Robinson’s collegiate path.

“He’s shown me he’s big, and he’s made a lot of progress,” Saban said of Proctor last week. He’s improved a lot. He’s got a lot of ability. And there’s things that he needs to continue to work on. Obviously, experience is gonna help him, and when you get experience – experience is a culmination of how do you learn from your mistakes, and that’s what experience is. And he’s been pretty good about that.”

The hype for Proctor has been years in the making. He was the fifth-rated overall prospect, and best tackle, in the latest recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports. His commitment to the Tide was a splash in its own right, with Proctor flipping from his home state Iowa Hawkeyes last December on signing day. Proctor later admitted he took less name, image and likeness money to attend UA.

Of the five first-year blockers coach Eric Wolford brought in, Proctor seems the most likely to make an early impact. That’s partially by virtue of the roster. While others are primarily interior linemen — sitting behind the veteran first-team trio of Tyler Booker, Seth McLaughlin and Darrian Dalcourt — the Tide have had a clear opening to protect its quarterback’s blindside.

Proctor worked with the first team group on Aug. 5, the only open practice to the fans and media, after Pritchett limped off to the locker room with a team aide.

“It’s a big role to come in as a freshman and compete for a starting spot at The University of Alabama,” McLaughlin said. “It’s a hard thing even for older guys, too. I’m been proud of the way he’s taken things in stride and he’s been coachable. We’ve helped him out. He hasn’t had an ‘I know everything’ type mentality,’ and I think he’s taken coaching points from everybody. I’m really proud to see the way he’s progressing.”

McLaughlin and linebacker Dallas Turner are just a couple of Proctor’s teammates who have raved about the “eye-opening” talent the 6-foot-7, 360-pounder possesses. Turner said Proctor’s “raw” ability allows him to recover if a pass-rusher’s first move beats him. He’s also developing more technique.

To compensate for Proctor or Pritchett’s newness to Division I football, the Tide reworked its offensive line to move Booker, one of the better guards in the SEC, over to left guard from the right side. Booker had been paired with Alabama’s rock of a right tackle JC Latham, but now will be expected to help make calls and adjust blocking schemes.

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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].