Starting his second year at the helm of one of the most successful college football programs, Kalen DeBoer has a big decision to make. Looking ahead to a pressure-packed season, who will be taking the snaps this fall at quarterback?
After a 9-4 season in 2024, the Crimson Tide coaching staff looks to replace starting quarterback Jalen Milroe as he heads to the NFL Draft later in April. In his career at Alabama, Milroe threw for over 6,000 yards, rushed for over 1,500 yards, and had a combined 78 touchdowns. Milroe’s ability to both throw and run the ball will make the decision regarding the next playcaller for Kalen DeBoer’s team a difficult one.
This spring in Tuscaloosa, questions have been raised about who will be the one to emerge and lead the 2025 version of the Alabama football team in their season opener against Florida State. The three quarterbacks competing for the job are Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell. While no starter will be named coming out of spring practice (and likely will not be named until fall camp), these guys have a chance to separate themselves as the bell cow of the offense.
However, the problem of inexperience with these three candidates arises. Not to say that there is no talent, because there seems to be plenty of that to go around. But there is very minimal experience taking snaps in front of 100,000+ roaring fans, being under bright lights on the biggest stages, or in the College Football Playoff. This is going to make the quarterback decision for Kalen DeBoer and first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb a bit more tricky.
Who has the most experience?
When it comes to experience, junior Ty Simpson has seen the most action in a college football game. And although he may have taken snaps as Jalen Milroe’s backup, he still only has 50 career pass attempts.
Austin Mack, a redshirt sophomore who began his football career at Washington, transferred to Alabama in 2024 with Kalen DeBoer. Mack saw some action in 2024, and was 2 for 3 passing with 39 yards and a touchdown against Mercer.
The third player competing for the starting spot is Keelon Russell. Russell was the number two overall player in the country for the class of 2025, and is already on campus as an early enrollee. While he has no experience as a collegiate quarterback, he certainly has the talent to be in the mix for the job.
How is it going to shake out?
Recently in Tuscaloosa for spring practice, ESPN College Football Insider Chris Low commented that Simpson was “best positioned to be starter”, but has not won the job yet. Low also noted that Mack “has real support among the players”, and that Russell was the “most talented of the three, but is a freshman”.
All three of these candidates have a chance over the next few months to position themselves as the starter, but nothing is going to be set in stone from spring practice. We may not even know until the week of the season opener who “the guy” will be, but we do know one thing. In the end, it is usually experience that prevails.
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