Alabama football had its fair share of snapping issues in 2023. That’s been well documented.
Those problems reared their head in the ugliest way in the final game of the season, the Rose Bowl, resulting in a loss in the College Football Playoff.
The snapping between center Seth McLaughlin and quarterback Jalen Milroe had issues throughout the season. McLaughlin is gone to Ohio State, and Alabama will be running a new offense with a new offensive line coach in Chris Kapilovic, whom new coach Kalen DeBoer hired from Baylor. So it’s a bit of a fresh start.
Kapilovic, speaking to media in Tuscaloosa on Friday for the first time since arriving, said he hasn’t watched film on the snapping issues for Alabama in 2023 but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t aware.
“Obviously everybody heard about it,” Kapliovic said. “We train those guys, we teach them the techniques and we grade them everyday. Every snap is charted. It’s something we take serious offseason, in season. They’re snapping year round. It’s important.”
Snapping is so important in Kapilovic’s mind that he makes sure he has a high number of offensive linemen who get snapping experience – as many as 8-10 year round.
“Half those guys may never snap their whole career here, but you can never have enough of those guys,” Kapilovic said. “And then for their future, that’s the first question NFL scouts ask me: Can he snap? So it’s good for everybody, right?”
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Part of the reason? Once upon a time, Kapilovic was caught short-handed. He said at one coaching stop, he had four centers then lost three in one week.
“I said from this point forward, I’ll have 8-10 guys snapping because it’s a skill,” Kapliovic said. “When you’re a shotgun offense … back in the day, if you were just under center, you could throw anybody in there. But in a shot gun offense, it’s a skill. I don’t have to reflect on last year, but nobody notices a snap until it’s bad. It’s important you have guys who can do it.”
Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men’s basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football: How new O-line coach aims to limit snap problems
