Spring practice is underway in Tuscaloosa. Head coach Kalen DeBoer had a solid debut last season, but a 9-4 season is nowhere close to where Bama wants to be after regularly being in the conversation as one of the top-ranked teams in the nation.
Legendary coach Nick Saban is gone, and the Crimson Tide missed the college playoffs. More importantly, they need to figure out who will be under center next season.
Head Coach Kalen DeBoer Did Not Indicate Who Alabama’s Quarterback Will Be This Upcoming Season
The quarterback position is crucial for any team’s success in football. The leader of the team and often the most dynamic player on the field needs to be someone whom teammates can gravitate towards and trust.
For Ty Simpson, the quarterback position is his to lose. All signs point to DeBoer and his views on the QB room.
Simpson is competing against 17-year-old Keelon Russell and 18-year-old Austin Mack. Both freshman and highly touted recruits lack one thing Simspon has going for him: experience.
Simpson has been with the Tide since 2022, having thrown for 381 yards and three rushing touchdowns. He had the opportunity to learn under head coach Nick Saban and the talented quarterbacks who came before him, like Jalen Milroe.
Coach DeBoer had this to say about his quarterbacks;
“I think it’s pretty consistent from where it was from the beginning. They all bring something a little bit different to the table. Even though it’s not like maybe a runner and then a passer, it’s guys doing their thing and what their strengths are.”
He continued, “They are all taking something from each other’s games, applying it to theirs, and seeing that there’s always a way to make this play happen or that play happen.”
Five Star recruit Keelon Russell seems to be the leading threat to Simpson’s sought-after job. The young freshman has all the tools to shine as the number-one-ranked quarterback in the class of 2025. His dual-threat abilities and 6’3 frame are the reasons why 18 total schools formally sent him offer letters throughout his high school career.
He is arguably the best recruit in Alabama history, and he will have to prove it to surpass Simpson on the depth chart.
On the other hand, Alabama insider Justin Smith has been high on Simpson. Impressed during his spring scrimmage debut, he described the quarterback’s performance with one word; “Shining.” Another insider, Brady Smoot, stated Simpson emerged from the scrimmage as the “Solid No. 1”.
As the momentum seems to be with Simpson, coach DeBoer kept his opinion to himself but commented that the unit looked “more comfortable today.”
We’ll continue to monitor the quarterback competition closely as spring practice begins. For now, we can only speculate until DeBoer provides more clarity.
Alabama opens its season at Florida State on Saturday, Aug. 30, five months from now.
KEEP READING: Ty Simpson Reportedly Voted to Leadership Council, What This Means for the Potential Starting Alabama QB
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