Alabama’s coach sees strengths, weaknesses heading into offseason

TUSCALOOSA — Greg McElroy got his steak Tuesday night.

Alabama’s quarterback and other members of the Crimson team that won Saturday’s A-Day game enjoyed ribeyes in the Bryant Dining Hall. White team members ate franks and beans.

Nick Saban and the coaching staff attended, too. The head coach jokingly needled defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Tuscaloosa News sports editor
Tommy Deas, one of the White team’s media coaches.

Saban was already looking ahead immediately after Saturday’s game as he analyzed his team’s biggest challenges coming out of spring.

“I think that, offensively, we don’t have enough depth and we don’t have enough playmakers right now,” Saban said. “I don’t think we have enough depth in the
offensive line. The second offensive line, their quarterbacks (Star Jackson and Thomas Darrah) didn’t have a chance to operate. And we need to continue to
develop a backup quarterback that can be an effective player with consistency.”

There’s the wish list. Saban said that another touted freshman class, which arrives on campus in June, includes players who will have opportunities to win jobs.

“There’s going to be some opportunities for young people on our team right now as well as guys that are coming in,” Saban said.

“We have issues. We have things to work on,” Saban said, calling those challenges to be embraced.

He told his team in the locker room that he wasn’t as concerned with the talent as he was the leadership and passion on this team.

“You know, what’s the motivation?” Saban told the media after the game. “What’s the inspiration for our team to have a great football team and be good
because of who they are and how good they want to be?

“Those things are intangibles that have to surface and I think that’s probably true of any good team.”

McElroy praised his offensive lineman for their performance Saturday. Mike Johnson’s return after missing the second scrimmage was a noticeable boost at left
guard. Drew Davis is the other returning starter at right tackle.

But McElroy said the improvement of the three newcomers gives the unit some momentum going into the summer.

“William Vlachos handled probably the best defensive tackle in the country as well as anybody probably could,” he said, referring to his center against Terrence
Cody. “And (Brian) Motley and James (Carpenter) have come along really well this spring. It culminated today; they played fantastic…

“I expect them to be working throughout the summer, and getting more comfortable with each other. That should allow them to progress even more and us
having a pretty good offensive line this year.”

Motley said the line was particularly eager to play Saturday.

“The defense has been chattering all week about how they’ve been shutting us down in both scrimmages and how we haven’t been running the ball well,” said
the junior from Autaugaville, who has moved from defense to offense and to various places on the line before starting at right guard Saturday. “We felt like we
had something to prove to them and the fans, that we were going to pick up where we left off last year and would still be able to run the ball. I feel pretty good,
but we still have a lot more to work on.”

Carpenter, a 6-5, 305-pound junior college transfer, started at left tackle, where Andre Smith has been anchored the past three years.

“I think James’ biggest thing is he’s shown an ability to do what we need him to do to be a functional left tackle for us in the SEC,” Saban said. “The biggest
thing is don’t go rat trap under fire. ... He made a tremendous amount of improvement this spring.

“It’s going to be important that we have some other guys come a long way with him. We’re very pleased with the progress that he’s made, but we also need
him to continue to develop and improve between now and Sept. 5.”