The battle for Alabama’s best quarterback was one of the most talked about topics before last season. Who would start in the Crimson Tide’s season opener wasn’t announced until three hours before the roster was released.
Jalen Milroe emerged as a starter for the Crimson Tide, starting every game except for South Florida. He finished the season with 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for another 531 yards and 12 scores. He was also named team captain and second-team All-SEC.
While there won’t be the same battle for quarterbacks this season, Milroe enters the season as the projected starter for Alabama’s new offense under head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan, but the battle for his sake continues.
Alabama returns redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson, who was Milroe’s primary backup in 2023, along with redshirt freshman Dylan Lonergan and redshirt freshman Austin Mack, who followed DeBoer and Co. from Washington. Entering the season, it looks like Simpson is back at No. 2, while Mack and Lonergan compete for the No. 3 and 4 spots.
“I think you know we have some really good young players in this room and they push each other and they’ve all done a good job and they’re improving and developing,” Sheridan said after practice on Wednesday. “I’m happy with the room, you know, like most other questions there are things we can do better.”
Simpson made six appearances for Alabama in 2023, completing 11 of 20 passes for 179 yards. Most notably, he replaced Tyler Buchner against South Florida, leading the Crimson Tide to 17 unanswered points and a 17-3 victory. Mack, who reclassified to the 2023 class to join the Huskies’ program early, did not play in 2023, while Lonergan did play against Chattanooga, completing 2 of 2 passes for 12 yards.
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Overall, Sheridan said he was pleased with the quarterback unit and its progress from spring through summer and into fall.
“That’s what’s fun about coaching: trying to help them get better,” Sheridan said. “You see growth, you see progress, new things coming up, new installations, new defensive schemes, you know, reps that they see against this coverage but maybe not against this one or against this pressure but maybe not against the other ones. The relentless pursuit of continuous improvement, that’s what I see in the group and their attitude is great, they support each other, I’m happy with that.”
Alabama completed its 12th practice of fall camp on Wednesday and will play its second scrimmage of the fall on Saturday. The Crimson Tide will begin their 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky at Bryant-Denny Stadium.