Superlatives: 2020 Alabama Football Offensive Line Report Card

2020 Midseason Report Card: A-
2020 Midseason Player of the Year: Landon Dickerson

2020 Final Grade: A+

It is nigh impossible to have an offensive line at any level of football play as well as the Crimson Tide this season, and particularly down the stretch:

Mac Jones left games with his jersey clean more nights than not. It was often 3-4 yards downfield before a defender even made contact with a running back. The unit cut down on their penalties down the stretch significantly, too. In the first half of the season, the O-line had several frustrating presnap penalties, which was my one knock on them. But, unlike last season, they became more disciplined as the season went along, with the group cutting down on false starts, etc. — and this very chippy bunch got a lot better at hiding their shenanigans, accruing just two personal foul penalties in 13 games versus six (including offsets) in the same number of games in 2019.

The offensive line rightly won the Joe Moore Award given to the best offensive line in the nation. Alex Leatherwood is a can’t-miss quiet left tackle who will play for years to come in the NFL and took home the 2020 Outland Trophy. My midseason Offensive MVP, Landon Dickerson, took home the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center (and, for full disclosure, I also voted for him for the Outland Trophy). No. 69 has been mocked by most in the first round, injuries aside. Meanwhile, I’m really proud of Deonte Brown— Cornbread played within his weight all season, stayed out of trouble, stayed off the bong, and has perhaps played himself into first round consideration as well. Cornbread made First Team All-SEC. Even the maligned Chris Owens improved drastically after his bumpy start, and really acquitted himself well down the stretch when the team needed him the most.

Landon and Alex were consensus First Team All-Americans/All-SEC, surrendered just one sack between them, and missed a combined four assignments in over 1700 combined snaps. They also took home the SEC’s Jacobs’ Blocking Trophy.

And, for all the hardware, Evan Neal is perhaps better than any of these guys. And wait till you see the beef already on campus, including Latham and the Brockmeyer Twins. Seriously.

MVP: Landon Dickerson.

My dude won the Rimington, was an All-American, All-SEC, and was the perpetual ham that goaded opponents into dumb penalties and frustration plays. I pray that he stays healthy and has the long pro career he deserves. If so, he will be a quarterback’s best friend for years and years to come.

Hell, the big ole’ country boy even took home Marty & McGee’s much-coveted Redneck Heisman:

I said in a comment to one of the post-CFPCG pieces that in my child-frighteningly old life, this has now become my favorite Alabama team of all-time, and Dickerson is no small part of that. There have been few teams that endured as much as this one did, and that pulled together and truly played as more than a team; they were a family.

Big 69 was the glue that held the family together:

And family looks after their own:

No, you’re crying!

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports