Davis bulks up, hopes to land starting job on offensive line

TUSCALOOSA | When it comes to landing a starting job on the University of Alabama football team, there are two words that frequently come into play: Opportunity and experience.

That’s certainly proven true for junior Drew Davis, who has spent most of this spring lined up with the four returning starters on the offensive line: junior Andre Smith, senior Antoine Caldwell, senior Marlon Davis and junior Mike Johnson. After switching back-and-forth with sophomore Taylor Pharr for the first few days, Drew Davis appears to have held the right tackle job since.

“It’s been a combination of both,” Drew Davis said. “The opportunity presented itself. I just need to take advantage of it. I’m not where I need to be right now, but I’m working hard this spring.

“With me personally, it’s become a lot more comfortable. It’s a lot more reps. I’m working on my technique, getting better technique. Using my hands better.”

He’s also bulked up. Since arriving on the Capstone, Drew Davis has added approximately 35 pounds. Although the roster lists him at 6-foot-7, 276 pounds, in reality he is hovering near the 300 mark following an active offseason.

Pharr, too, has added weight, up about 40 pounds from his weight of 255 when he first reported.

“More muscle, stronger, more physical,” Pharr said. “I think we have our own traits. Drew is a good offensive lineman and he’s gotten a lot better. I’m just trying to work on my technique and improve as spring progresses.”

Yet things may be far from fully settled on the offensive line with the starters or backups.

Senior Charles Hoke (6-7, 253) has moved from tight end, and despite not adding the necessary weight yet has been backing up Smith at left tackle, with junior Scott Deaton moving from tackle to right guard.

Meanwhile, top signees John Michael Boswell, Tyler Love and Barrett Jones have all been told to report this summer ready to compete for playing time. One or more of them may prove to be Drew Davis’ biggest challenger in the fall.

“Both guys have made improvement,” coach Nick Saban said last week. “Drew Davis has probably been the surprise of the offseason, relative to the offensive line, in terms of he’s gotten bigger, he’s gotten stronger, he’s playing with a little more power, and he’s always been a very athletic guy. So that’s really created an opportunity for him at right tackle and he’s improved and taken advantage of it.

“Taylor Pharr is a hard-working guy and has a lot of toughness.”

Of course, the position being a bit of a question mark is nothing new for Crimson Tide fans, who have not seen a top-quality lineman there for quite some time.

While Alabama has had its fair share of All-Southeastern Conference offensive lineman over the last 10 years, including Chris Samuels, Marico Portis, Justin Smiley, Wesley Britt and Evan Mathis, they were all essentially left tackles, guards or played center like Paul Hogan.

Last year, Johnson started all 13 games, 10 at right tackle, but slid inside to right guard to start the final three games of the regular season before returning to his previous spot for the Independence Bowl. Senior Chris Capps had two starts and Caldwell moved over from center for the other.

The previous couple of years, Capps and converted defensive lineman Kyle Tatum mostly shared the position. Neither was able to hold on to the starting job his senior year.

With Justin Britt now focusing on the NFL, Johnson moved over to left guard, apparently for good. He will face bigger, tougher linemen in the interior.

“It’s going pretty smooth,” Johnson said. “A had a little bit of guard experience last year, and it’s probably easier since they’re putting in new stuff. With the new offensive coordinator I’m getting it fresh just like everyone else is. Not everyone else is ahead of me.

“Playing between Antoine and Andre is probably the easiest thing about the whole transition.”

Meanwhile, a fifth face is needed for the first unit, and for now Drew Davis has worked his way into the lead for both Saturday’s A-Day Game and the chance to be the incumbent when fall practice opens in three-plus months. Even so, he’s not approaching it as if the job is his to lose.

“We’re all in the same meeting room, we’re all together all the time,” the Evergreen native said. “It’s the same thing everyone else is going through. It’s the same all over the offensive line. You just have to know the plays if someone goes down, especially with the way they throw us all in there. We all have to be prepared to play.”

“Just keeping working as hard as he always does,” Johnson said. “He has a couple of small technique things to correct, but he’s working hard.”

Tide-bits

As University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban hinted after Saturday’s scrimmage, the Crimson Tide made a bit of a shakeup at linebacker during Monday’s practice, but it was more than just senior Jimmy Johns moving to an outside spot.

Johns practiced ahead of sophomore Chavis Williams and junior Eryk Anders at the outside/strongside position. Taking Johns’ inside/weakside linebacker position was junior Cory Reamer, who was backed up by junior Baron Huber. Huber’s promotion likely means the “experiment” of switching from fullback is over.

“I’m looking for it to be permanent,” said Huber, who was initially recruited as a linebacker.

Sophomore lineman Brian Motley talked to reporters for the first time after breaking the left ring finger when it got smashed between two helmets on March 28.

“It was ugly, man,” Motley said. “I thought is was dislocated, but the trainer was trying to get it back right and said they couldn’t get it back in place, so I got it X-rayed and it was broke clean off the knuckle.

“This was my third broken bone in seven months, and three surgeries.”

Senior quarterback John Parker Wilson on Saturday’s scrimmage: “Yeah, it was a lot better. A lot more guys were making plays. I think we drove the ball a lot better, took better care of the ball and didn’t turn it over.” He continued, “I think everyone’s play on offense was a lot better. We did a lot more things this week than last week. The guys came to practice better and had a better attitude about everything.”

Getting some work with the first-unit offense, during the brief time period reporters were allowed to watch practice, was freshman tight end Chris Underwood.

Reach Christopher Walsh at christopher.walsh@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0196.