Former Alabama football guard Tyler Booker is at the NFL Combine this week, trying to solidify his place in the first round of April’s NFL draft. While speaking to reporters in Indianapolis, Booker was asked which young Alabama players might be coming behind him.

Booker analyzed the Crimson Tide depth chart for his answer.

“I’m not sure if it’ll be next year, but in the future you’ll be hearing about Will Sanders,” Booker said. “That’s a guy who’s an Alabama native. He didn’t have the biggest name coming out, but he’s somebody who works hard every single day.”

The 6-foot-3, 309-pound Sanders played his high school football at Brookwood. He joined the Tide as part of the 2024 recruiting class as a four-star interior offensive line prospect according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

As a freshman, Sanders didn’t get much playing time. He got on the field against Western Kentucky and Mercer, earning scout team player of the week honors from the UA coaching staff before the Georgia and Oklahoma games.

Booker thought the youngster had the right mental makeup to find success in Tuscaloosa.

“He’ll be borderline annoying sometimes, just asking me ‘How I look? How I look? How I look?’” Booker said. “But I appreciate that from him because he had a want to learn. He wants to learn all the time. He loves the game of football, you can tell he loves the game of football.

“He used somebody like me as an older guy to learn from, so I’m very excited to see how Will progresses over the next few years and I’ll always be rooting for that guy. He’s a great guy and a great football player.”

Booker competes in drills at the combine on Sunday with the rest of the offensive linemen. Sanders and the Crimson Tide are set to begin spring practice on Monday, ahead of April 12’s A-Day game.