All eyes went to the ball, rolling once again toward Jalen Milroe. A wide receiver was confused. A fourth-down play went nowhere. A season ended. While the cameras followed Michigan’s celebration, JC Latham stayed down. Two Alabama staffers noticed Latham writhing under confetti and sprinted against traffic to reach UA’s starting right tackle.

Latham got caught up in a dog pile on the last play of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl. He suffered a high-ankle sprain and limped into the locker room, only stopping to throw his pads off and chat with some Wolverines players who jogged over to see him. At the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Latham is still dealing with the fallout from what he considered a self-inflicted error.

“The mental aspect, that’s the biggest area of improvement for me. Like for example, in the Michigan game third quarter we ran counter and I was front side on the counter and you know, when you go a man on and a man outside you got to take the man (outside) so he can’t work a double team. I picked it up and made the play. And then last play of the game, same situation on front side counter, man on, man outside and I didn’t pick up. I didn’t recognize it,” Latham said.

The lineman is a projected first-round choice in next month’s draft. Experts have mocked him as high as fifth overall, a pick currently owned by the Los Angeles Chargers. Latham knows he has to answer if he can play left tackle, a position highly valued because it protects the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks. Latham’s left ankle though, might hinder that process.

Latham will participate in positional drills at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday in front of head coaches and general managers, but not agility tests like the 40-yard dash or shuttle drill.

Latham didn’t sound optimistic that he would on Alabama’s pro day on March 20 — an event with added importance for Latham’s former teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry, who combine doctors diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot, keeping him out of on-field drills in Indianapolis.

While Latham doesn’t want to aggravate the injury, he also wouldn’t have time to develop some sprinting techniques. It’s a common practice for draft-eligible players to train for specific tests that wouldn’t necessarily be done naturally through a season.

“I want to prove I can move around and get out there. I’m waiting to see if I’m asked to do anything out of a left tackle stance and get that done so I can show my versatility,” Latham said.

Ohio State’s Paris Johnson was the tackle picked in last year’s draft (Arizona). He was a left tackle with the Buckeyes before swinging over and starting every game at right tackle as a rookie in the pros. Tennessee’s Darnell Wright played 27 of his 42 collegiate games at right tackle and was drafted by Chicago four picks after Johnson.

After changing positions from defensive tackle to offensive line in high school, Latham developed a persona of the “Trench King.” In his last 960 pass-blocking snaps the last two years, Latham has allowed 21 pressures and two sacks. His lifelong goal of reaching the NFL will come to fruition next month in Detroit.

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