True Freshman Michael carroll continues to turn heads

Michael Carroll was named a midseason Freshman All-American

It's not just the viral pancakes.

Alabama true freshman offensive lineman Michael Carroll continues to assert himself as one of the top young blockers in college football. He is not only excelling on the nation's hottest program, but doing so as both a pass and run blocker at right tackle. Many were convinced he would work exclusively on the interior in college.

Carroll's steady rise up the ranks in Tuscaloosa has even allowed for the first-year standout to command time at right tackle, including an actual starting nod early in SEC play. Appearing in every game but the opener against Florida State, the Crimson Tide has not fallen on the wrong side of the scoreboard with the big blocker seeing action.

The pass blocking numbers ring especially loud for Carroll, who hasn't allowed a sack through his first seven games. The Pro Football Focus efficiency numbers in pass protection have remained consistent for Carroll, who even sits higher than blockers projected to see their names called very early in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Zooming out beyond Tuscaloosa towards the national scene continues to tell a strong story for Carroll's swift rise. In comparison to fellow five-star freshman blockers, few have seen as many meaningful reps to date. In fact, at least one major outlet tabbed 15 different offensive line recruits as five-stars in the 2025 cycle, including Carroll via each. The only blocker to grade higher via PFF is Georgia Tech's Josh Petty, but he has totaled just seven pass-block snaps thus far in 2025.

Among the blockers starting this fall or getting regular run like Carroll has achieved -- Oklahoma's Michael Fasusi, Tennessee's David Sanders, Georgia's Juan Gaston and SMU's Dramodd Odoms -- Carroll clips each of them in overall blocking. When broken down by play selection, only Fasusi grades higher in the run game and Sanders holds a current edge in pass sets. While those numbers can and will change as each blocker earns more playing time, four of the five-star blockers haven't seen their first collegiate snaps as October comes to a close.

The combined data suggests Carroll is playing the best ball among all true freshman offensive linemen nationally. Pundits with an experienced eye would agree, as Carroll has been the initial blocker listed in mid-season Freshman All-American teams at ESPN and On3. The accolades also push well beyond the season scope with increasingly viral flashes of aggression taking on their own lives online as the perception matches the dominant reality.

Carroll doing so as a right tackle could also be viewed as a story in and of itself considering he was preparing to work at guard in college through most of his time before Alabama. The transition has been seamless and it has allowed for optimism in Carroll continuing the IMG Academy to Alabama offensive line projection from prep five-star to future NFL first round selection.