Doug Marrone had a brief stop as the offensive line coach with Alabama in 2021.
But that time spent with the college football juggernaut is serving him now that he’s in his first season as the New England Patriots offensive line coach.
While working under legendary head coach Nick Saban, Marrone was tasked with helping recruit some of the top high school offensive linemen in the country. Those same players, which included Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks and Josh Connerly Jr. among others, are now regarded as top prospects in the upcoming NFL draft.
So Marrone already has information on them — and even some of their phone numbers from his recruiting days — heading into the draft with the Patriots in desperate need to fill their gaping hole at left tackle.