TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It turns out that the University of Alabama football team went with plan B on the offensive line last season.

According to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay the Crimson Tide coaching staff wanted to move Jonah Williams from left tackle to center, only the third-year starter balked at the switch.

McShay commented on it twice during a post-NFL combine conference call with reporters on Wednesday morning.

“I know he wants to play tackle,” McShay said. “I know that that was an issue at Alabama. They wanted to move him to center and he didn’t want to do it.”

Alabama returned four starters on the offensive line, everyone but Bradley Bozeman, along with position coach Brent Key last season. The coaching staff envisioned the starting five having a very different look to it, but Williams ended up being the only returning starter to stay put at his position.

Alex Leatherwood would have likely moved to left tackle, a position he was more comfortable playing, instead of playing at right guard. Ross Pierschbacher could have stayed at left guard instead of switching to center. Lester Cotton Sr. wouldn’t have had to switch from right guard to left guard.

Cotton wasn’t as effective on the left side and ended up being replaced by Deonte Brown, who ended up being suspended for the College Football Playoff.

Jedrick Wills Jr. won the starting job at right tackle, but 2017 starter Matt Womack, who ended up re-breaking his foot in practice during training camp, could have been playing right guard — the position he’s expected to play this spring.

A year ago there were rumblings that Alabama wanted Williams to play center, or maybe even go back to playing right tackle, the position he played as a freshman, to protect left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side. However, Tagovailoa still had to beat out Jalen Hurts for the starting job, and suffered a hand fracture during the first spring practice.

“I’m not going to say there’s no chance, because like I said, we want the five best out there however that plays [out],” Williams said last March. “But I’m very comfortable playing left tackle, I haven’t taken a snap elsewhere in two years. So I’m comfortable playing there, I enjoy playing there. I think I had a good season last year, but I’m a harsh critic and I know there’s a ton I can improve on. So I’m just looking to get better.”

When specifically asked by reporters if the coaches had asked him to switch positions, Williams said: “I think that at this point of the season, it’s just kind of if you’re going to move around, you’re going to move around, just to see how different people play next to each other, how different things go. It’s not that serious. If we’re in Week 10, it’s probably going to be a more serious conversation. But for right now in spring, we’re just trying to see who can play what and get the best [five] out there.”

Such a move wasn’t unprecedented during the Nick Saban era at Alabama.

After winning the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football in 2011, Barrett Jones moved from left tackle to center to make room for Cyrus Kouandjio as a starter. Jones went on to win the Rimington Award as the game’s best center, but also ended up a fourth-round draft pick.

Part of that was due to his size, as Jones was listed as 6-5, approximately 300 pounds and didn’t have the longest arms. It was also due to missing the NFL combine after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his left foot with at least two torn ligaments during the SEC Championship Game.

Williams measured 6-4, 302 pounds and with an arm length of 33 5/8 inches at the combine last week, which by NFL standards is small for a tackle, especially on the left side.

For example, Trent Brown of the New England Patriots is 6-8, 380 pounds. But David Bakhtiari of the Green Bay Packers, who was named All-Pro at left tackle this past season is 6-4, 310.

“He’s consistent,” McShay said about Williams. “He’s patient in pass protection. He doesn’t have the long arms, obviously, but he plays with good balance. He’s a natural bender. He’s not a guy that’s lunging a lot or getting off balance, typically. He went up against Clelin Ferrell and he had the one play where he got kind of off balance and got pushed back, but for the most part, I thought he won that one-on-one and did a really good job. And he comes in with starting experience on both sides as well, which is important, because not all guys can play both sides. Some guys just really are more comfortable in their sets when kicking back with their left foot versus their right foot. And so knowing that he can play both sides is a positive.

“Now, he’s been against moving inside to center is what Alabama tried to do, and he wouldn’t have it. But I also think that that’s a business decision at this point, and he knows — he’s not an idiot. If you’re going to be drafted as a tackle you’re going to probably go higher, and higher means more money. So, when he gets to the league, I don’t know if that’s still an issue, but that’s something I would want to uncover and make sure I knew if I have plans to potentially maybe move him inside to guard and center, which I think he would excel at, as well.”

In his latest mock draft, McShay projected Williams to be the 10th-over pick by the Denver Broncos.