TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Deonte Brown is affectionally referred to as “Cornbread” by his fellow Alabama teammates, a nickname that most likely derives from his hefty frame. The 6-foot-4, 344-pound offensive lineman is still the heaviest player on the Crimson Tide’s roster. However, weight is no longer the first thing that comes up when discussing the redshirt sophomore.
Brown supplanted Lester Cotton as Alabama’s starting left guard last week during the Crimson Tide’s 58-21 victory over Tennessee. The Decatur, Ala., native helped clear the way for 218 yards and four touchdowns on the ground as Alabama rushers averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
“He did a nice job in the game,” head coach Nick Saban said. “We all have things that we can improve on, but he played well. He’s gotten an opportunity to play some this year, and I think he’s grown with that. Really proud of the fact that he’s overcome a lot to put himself in a position to be able to play and play effectively. We were pleased with the way he played.”
After battling weight issues his first two years on campus, Brown is finally beginning to live up to his potential this season. Previously weighing well over 350 pounds, the offensive lineman dropped weight over the offseason, allowing him to improve his conditioning. The leaner physique has yielded results on the field.
Brown had his best game against Missouri as he graded out at 88 percent with two knockdown blocks after coming in for an injured Cotton. While he gave up a pressure last week against Tennessee, he was solid as a run blocker, earning a 71.4 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
“He went out and executed,” center Ross Pierschbacher said following the game against Tennessee. “We had confidence in him going in. He had a good week of practice. Just communication, I think, is the biggest thing, just making sure he knows what to do. I think sticking him in between me and Jonah helped him out, for sure.”
Brown is still competing with Cotton for Alabama’s starting left guard role moving forward. Cotton, a senior, started Alabama’s first seven games at left guard but has been suffering from an ankle injury in recent weeks.
Alabama didn’t show its hand during limited media-viewing periods of practice this week, working its offensive linemen three at a time instead of as a full unit. The Crimson Tide is idle this weekend before traveling to Baton Rouge, La. for a top-five matchup against LSU on Nov. 3. Regardless of what Brown’s role in that game will be, he’s earned the confidence of his fellow teammates.
"I think everyone on the O-line, everyone on the team, has things to clean up after the game,” left tackle Jonah Williams said. “But I think overall, he played really well. I thought our communication was good. It was a loud environment, especially in the beginning of the game. So I was proud of the way he performed.”
