Predicting The Winner Of Alabama’s Wild QB Competition

For the first time since before Jalen Hurts, the Alabama quarterback picture is unclear. Nick Saban and the Alabama football dynasty have enjoyed a long run of elite quarterback play. The Crimson Tide’s last four quarterbacks (Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young) are all currently NFL starters. But with time running out before the start of the 2023 season, Alabama still hasn’t chosen a starting quarterback. Will it be 2022 backup Jalen Milroe? Former 5-star Ty Simpson? Or will Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner win the job?

Here’s the case for (or against) each of Alabama football’s quarterback options and a prediction for who wins the battle:

Jalen Milroe

Jalen Milroe was a four-star high school prospect and the No. 2 quarterback out of Texas. He has a big frame at 6-3, 206 lbs and great athleticism to go with it. His physical traits make him a dangerous threat with his legs, but he also has impressive arm strength.

Milroe is the most experienced quarterback in Nick Saban’s system. He appeared in eight games in 2022 and started one against Texas A&M, throwing three touchdowns in the 24-20 win. Saban’s familiarity with Milroe is the strongest case for him to win the starting job.

Milroe’s shortcomings are visible in the pocket; his accuracy and consistency certainly need improvement. Milroe completed 58.5% of his 53 pass attempts a year ago, with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He did rush for 263 yards and a touchdown as well, but the fact that he rushed for nearly as many yards as he threw for shows what his real strength is.

Alabama leaned heavily on Bryce Young’s individual ability last year, and Young’s biggest strength was his processing and improvisation.  If this year’s offense is at all similar to last year’s, the Crimson Tide is going to ask a lot of their quarterback, and Milroe isn’t up to Young’s standard in those areas.

Ty Simpson

Ty Simpson is the best pure prospect of Alabama’s three quarterbacks. He was the No. 3 QB in his class, per the 247Sports Composite. The sophomore has respectable size and athleticism at 6-2, 200 lbs. He’s much more of a pure passer than either of the other two candidates, but he also has enough mobility to escape pressure and extend plays with his feet, a trait which seemingly becomes more important every year.

Simpson’s primary area for improvement is his physical frame. He has good arm strength and accuracy, but he would benefit from adding some pounds to play in the very physical SEC. His best strengths in the pocket may also be limited by a less-than-spectacular receiving corps at Alabama football this year. They simply don’t have the weapons they usually do on the outside.

Simpson’s 247 scouting report reads: “Projects to an all-conference, potential All-American prospect at the next level. Needs one season to sit and develop as he acclimates to the speed of the game at the collegiate level, but possesses the ability to be a multi-year high level performer for a Power Five program.”

Well, that is the timeline he’s on. Simpson sat behind a former Heisman Trophy winner and has had over a year practicing against one of the best defenses in college football. His development should be far enough along for him to have earned the starting spot. But, he hasn’t separated himself yet, which brought Alabama to acquire its third quarterback.

Tyler Buchner

Apparently, Nick Saban and Alabama were not satisfied with the quarterback options they had after the spring football season. That led the Tide to bring in Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame. Buchner reunited with his his former offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, who Alabama hired away from the Fighting Irish in February.

Buchner graded out similar to Milroe as a high school prospect. He’s a good athlete with excellent elusiveness in the backfield. He’s not as strong or fast as Milroe, but he’s better and more versatile as a passer. Buchner is something between Milroe and Simpson in terms of play style and strengths, and he’s more dynamic than either.

He also hasn’t played a ton of football at the collegiate level, suffering an early-season shoulder injury that ended his 2022 campaign. Buchner likely has a lot of untapped potential left and could thrive behind the overall talent of Alabama’s roster.

Prediction

Based on the fact that Saban still wanted to bring in a quarterback after spring football, it feels like Tyler Buchner will be the choice. Alabama knows what they have in Milroe, and if Simpson hasn’t developed by now, he’s not going to by next Saturday.

Saban brought in Tommy Rees to lead his offense and then brought in the guy Rees has worked with before. That will be a favorable dynamic for both Rees and Buchner as they learn to adjust to a new situation.

Buchner’s strengths just make the most sense for what Alabama needs out of its quarterback right now. This isn’t typically a QB-centric offense, but it does need a guy that can make it more dynamic right now. Buchner’s ability to buy time and let plays develop will be valuable for the Crimson Tide, and that’s the skill that will earn him the starting job.

Saban has repeatedly made it clear that he hasn’t made his choice yet. He wants one of these three guys to force him to play them. Alabama has a high standard, and Saban isn’t just going to hand the job to one of these guys without them earning it. It’s looking more and more probable that this QB battle isn’t settled by Week 1. All three guys may get reps in Alabama’s non-conference warm-up game, but the Tide needs to find its identity before they face Texas in Week 2.