Parker Brailsford's Familiarity with DeBoer Offense Helping Alabama Early in Fall Camp

After missing most of the spring, the Washington transfer center is back practicing with the Crimson Tide and already emerging as a leader on the Alabama offense.

Parker Brailsford (72) / Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—  Four offensive players followed Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Tuscaloosa. Wide receiver Germie Bernard, center Parker Brailsford, tight end Josh Cuevas and quarterback Austin Mack all already have at least one year of practice or in-game experience under DeBoer's offense.

Brailsford is the only one of those four that was a starter for last year's Washington team that made a run all the way to the College Football Playoff championship game. After missing the spring with a non-football related issue, the redshirt sophomore is back fully practicing with the team and has left no question about who will be the starting center for the Crimson Tide this season.

"He knows the offense, so there’s a lot of people looking to him to come up with a solution on where it all starts," DeBoer said. "He’s pointing out the linebacker that they’re blocking to, or the protection that’s going to be set. He’s confident that way, and those guys feel that."

Alabama has a position battle at the both tackle spots that will likely continue through fall camp, but after the team's first practice, DeBoer said the interior offensive line of Brailsford, Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts is pretty much set.

Booker is one of the undisputed leaders of the Alabama offense and team as a whole. And just four practices into fall camp, Brailsford is already making Booker's job easier from a leadership standpoint and on-field in the trenches.

"He’s been helping me carry some of that burden of leading that I’m very blessed to have," Booker said. "He’s teaching me a lot. I’m teaching him a lot. And we’re both growing together, so it’s great to have somebody like Parker right next to you."

Brailsford was the first player Booker named when asked about which co-offensive lineman have impressed him so far in fall camp. As the left guard, having Brailsford playing to his right has helped him with blocks and communicating the right calls.

"It’s really cool seeing a guy like Book who just eats, sleeps and breathes this program and wants nothing but for it to be great. And him just rubbing off as Parker shows him and helps him, he helps him back," DeBoer said after Sunday's practice. "It’s fun seeing the pride that that unit is developing. Just walking into here just now and walking by them and some extra things that they’re doing, player-led, just because they don’t want to just get it right, they want to be great at it.”

Alabama was one of the worst teams in the country last season at giving up sacks, allowing 49 in 14 games. The offensive line Brailsford was a part of at Washington only allowed 12 sacks in 15 games and won the Joe Moore Award in 2023.

Communication between the quarterback and center is vital to offensive success. Regardless of how complicated an offense is and how much pre-snap movement is going on, each play starts with the ball somehow going from the hands of the center to the hands of the quarterback. Communication and snapping miscues between Jalen Milroe and Seth McLaughlin caused major issues for Alabama last season in several critical moments.

Milroe and Brailsford have been working on building that communication and trust in fall camp after not getting as many reps in the spring.

"As a whole, the foundation starts with the offensive line, but the offense goes through the quarterback and center exchange," Milroe said. "It’s been very important to get the run-checks down, get the passing game down as a whole because all we want to do is just keep building and improving. It starts with communication, so between me and him, it’s very important. To have this opportunity to have these reps in fall camp, that’s going to lead to when we have to play Game 1 whenever that happens, so it’s very important. It’s been good to have him.”

Listed at 6-2 and 275 lbs, Brailsford is by far the smallest offensive lineman on the field for Alabama, but his size and stature fit perfectly in DeBoer's offense. His familiarity with the system and leadership skills are proving key for the Crimson Tide in the early days of fall camp.