Tyler Booker Expects Offensive Line To Be 'Tone-Setter' for Alabama Football

Alabama offensive guard Tyler Booker provides some intel on the "Juice Squad" and the "on-field coach" of the offensive line.

Former Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones speaks with OL coach Chris Kapilovic and the rest of the position group / Obtained from Alabama Football's X/Twitter

After allowing the fifth-most sacks in FBS and most in the SEC last season, Alabama's offensive line has been revamped while showing improvements throughout the offseason and has been given high expectations by the college football community to give quarterback Jalen Milroe more time and space to work with.

When former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer was hired as seven-time national champion (six at Alabama) Nick Saban's successor on Jan. 12, he also brought along Huskies Joe Moore-award-winning offensive line coach Scott Huff. However, Huff received an offer he couldn't refuse from the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 11, and eight days later, the Crimson Tide hired former Baylor offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic for the same role.

On Monday morning, Alabama offensive guard and co-captain Tyler Booker spoke about Kapilovic on The Next Round, stating that he's done a great job of making the front-five a threatening unit to the rest of college football.

"Coach Kap is really really focused on scheme," Booker said. "What fans are going to see is we're going to have a much deeper understanding of the scheme, we're going to be assignment perfect and coach Kap brings the juice, something that he's carried along with the other schools he's been at is the Juice Squad club."

Booker further explained the meaning of the "Juice Squad" and its importance to the rest of the offense and even the team as a whole.

"The Juice Squad pretty much means that the offensive line has to set the tone for any football team, and [Kapilovic] sees setting the tone as juice," Booker said. "We're the juice squad, we're going to be the tone-setter for the team...as it should be."

Booker was also asked about Washington transfer center Parker Brailsford, who was one of many Huskies to follow DeBoer to Alabama. Booker explained that Brailsford's experience with DeBoer has been very beneficial for the rest of the offensive line.

"Parker is essentially a coach on the field for us because he's played in that scheme for two years previously," Booker said. "He understands what coach DeBoer is looking for and he understands the purpose of the play."

Booker also detailed that Brailsford's time in Washington and with DeBoer has helped him emerge as a leader of the offensive line almost immediately after he arrived in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

"When Parker just got here, I had him come over and the rest of the offensive line, had my girlfriend make some food and we just watched a bunch of film," Booker said. "But he was like 'Okay, this what this play is.' But when he said, 'Okay, let's say this is inside zone,' he called it something like, 'This is what we called it last year, and this is what it is now.' He's really been a coach on the field and very helpful. It also helps that he's super talented and super explosive. I can't wait to play a real game with him."

Crimson Tide left tackle Kadyn Proctor, Booker (left guard), Brailsford (center) and right guard Jaeden Roberts (currently injured but will be able to play soon) have all but officially been named Week 1 starters. However, the starting right tackle job has been a battle between Elijah Pritchett and Wilkin Formby throughout fall camp.

The fifth member of the front-five tone-setters should be announced in the near future as Saturday's season opener at home against Western Kentucky looms.