All eyes were drawn back to the ball, which was now rolling toward Jalen Milroe. A wide receiver became perplexed. A fourth-down play went nowhere. A season has concluded. JC Latham remained in the background as the cameras focused on Michigan’s jubilation. Two Alabama personnel observed Latham writhing in the confetti and dashed against traffic to reach the UA’s starting right tackle.
Latham got caught up in a dog pile on the last play of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl. He suffered a high-ankle sprain and limped into the locker room, only stopping to throw his pads off and chat with some Wolverines players who jogged over to see him. At the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Latham is still dealing with the fallout from what he considered a self-inflicted error.
“The mental aspect, that’s the biggest area of improvement for me. Like for example, in the Michigan game third quarter we ran counter and I was front side on the counter and you know, when you go a man on and a man outside you got to take the man (outside) so he can’t work a double team. I picked it up and made the play. And then last play of the game, same situation on front side counter, man on, man outside and I didn’t pick up. I didn’t recognize it,” Latham said.
The lineman is a projected first-round choice in next month’s draft. Experts have mocked him as high as fifth overall, a pick currently owned by the Los Angeles Chargers. Latham knows he has to answer if he can play left tackle, a position highly valued because it protects the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks. Latham’s left ankle though, might hinder that process.
Latham will take part in positional exercises at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday in front of head coaches and general managers, but not agility testing such as the 40-yard dash or shuttle drill.
Latham didn’t sound hopeful about his chances at Alabama’s pro day on March 20 — an event that was especially important for Latham’s former teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry, who was diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot, keeping him out of on-field exercises in Indianapolis.
Latham does not want to worsen his ailment, but he also does not have time to practice sprinting skills. Draft-eligible players frequently train for certain exams that would not occur organically during the course of a season.
