Leading up to the 2024 season, we’ll be exploring the top 10 offensive and defensive players Mizzou football is slated to face this fall. This is the third pair of players we dive into, but you can view the first two issues here:
While new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is tasked with introducing his high-powered offense to a new set of players this off-season, center Parker Brailsford will be one starter who should hit the ground running without any learning curve. Brailsford is a transfer from Washington who followed DeBoer to Tuscaloosa following the pair’s loss to Michigan in the national championship last season. As the center, Brailsford served as the spine of an offensive line that won Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in the country in 2023.
Brailsford burst onto the scene last year as a redshirt freshman, earning a starting job over the summer and starting all 15 games for the Huskies. Named to the All-Pac-12 second team, he also earned a first-team Freshman All American spot by many publications. Brailsford began the 2023 season at right guard for Washington before moving to center after two games. He stuck there in the middle of the best offensive line in the country; a unit which carried the most high-powered offense in the nation to the national championship game.
A bit undersized at 275 pounds, Brailsford makes up for his lack of size with elite athleticism and the ability to not only pass block much larger defensive linemen, but to get to the second level in zone blocking schemes. Having spent two years learning DeBoer’s offensive system, Brailsford should help his new offensive line mates adopt the system more quickly than if the whole unit was starting from scratch.
As previously discussed when examining Tyler Booker, Kalen DeBoer will bring a more high-flying, downfield passing attack than previous Alabama teams have featured. However, despite the downfield threat, slowing down the Crimson Tide run game will always be the most important thing for defenses, Corey Batoon’s squad included. To do so, it will be vital for the interior defensive line for the Tigers, namely Kristian Williams, Sterling Webb and Chris McClellan, to lock down and overpower Brailsford at the snap.
