To Alabama football , the veteran presence on the offensive line has shifted from the left side to the right. And it's a responsibility Jaeden Roberts is ready for, one he said he's already taken advantage of.
But Roberts is not the only offensive lineman the Crimson Tide to be a "veteran" on the right side.
"Wilkin (Formby) has definitely taken that responsibility," Roberts said.
Yes, that same Wilkin Formby who lost a starting spot at right tackle to Elijah Pritchett last spring, struggled mightily as an injury replacement against South Florida and was at the forefront of Alabama fans' rage, rage he experienced through social media.
A year later, preparing for another spring, Formby says his status is no different. He doesn't think about his placement on the depth chart at right tackle. It's solely about what offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic wants him to improve on, what skills the coach wants developed.
But when asked that same question about how the veteran presence on the line being shifted, Formby couldn't help but grin before settling into his answer.
"I think the offensive line, it's five guys going out there and dominating," Formby said. "I don't think even last year it was like focused on left side or the right side. It was just five guys going out there and dominating. I don't think we carry any pressure. I think we all do a great job, whoever is in there at that time, the five guys do a good job of trying to dominate."
Formby's offseason brewed confidence ahead of 2025.
He used it to step into more of a leadership role, he said, bonding and growing with his teammates, while improving on his hand usage in pass protection, his strain in the run game, and his eye level consistently.
It's all building blocks, Formby said, for a season that started rough, but picked up momentum in the final few games against Mercer, Auburn and Michigan where he basically split snaps with Pritchett at right tackle.
"It was a necessity to learn and grow, and I am happy with where I finished the season," Formby said. "And I wanted to enter the offseason at a good spot, a positive spot in the last few games entering the offseason to try and build up some steam."
As for the fan reaction, it was what Formby expected from "a passionate fanbase." The improvement, he said, is not for the Crimson Tide. It's for himself.
"I just think I had to get some of the nerves out," Formby said. "People don't realize, when you're in front of 100,000 people, sometimes it's a little stressful. So I think experience helped a lot. Just becoming confident. If you have a bad game, you mess up, you're at the bottom. You get to keep going from there."
Alabama will hold its annual A Day spring game at Bryant-Denny Stadium at noon April 12.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How Wilkin Formby used Alabama football offseason to become 'veteran'
