Alex Leatherwood, Offensive Line
The transition to right guard is still a work in progress for Alex Leatherwood. The former five-star offensive lineman hasn’t been terrible or anything, but there’s been some noticeable growing pains after spending his entire career at offensive tackle.
To be fair, Leatherwood seems more suited to play tackle than guard. He’s listed at 6-6, 304 pounds, and there’s obvious athleticism with the Pensacola (Fla.) native. He made the most of his opportunity after taking over for Jonah Williams at left tackle in the national championship game back in January.
Heading into this season, it had looked like Jedrick Wills would be the more likely of the two to kick inside. But he’s looked phenomenal at right tackle, so moving him to guard wouldn’t make sense at this point. He did see significant reps there during the offseason, but it looks like the coaching staff thought he was a better fit at right tackle.
Going back to Leatherwood, he’s certainly capable of making an impact at right guard. But he’s going to need to show some noticeable improvement if he wants to remain in the starting lineup over Deonte Brown.