As we enter a new era of Alabama Crimson Tide football — the post-Bryce Young era, there are some questions as to who will take snaps under center for the Tide. There are several capable guys who can bring their own unique skillset to the offense. Let’s investigate the files and make a case for each quarterback and bring home a natty to Tuscaloosa.
We have a dilemma in the quarterback room, and it has a lot to do with Tommy Rees at the helm as the new offensive coordinator. Rees has gotten a bit of criticism for the offensive woes at Notre Dame as the offense struggled to score points consistently. You could make the argument that offensively the Irish didn’t have the horses for him to work with. Rees is known for his 12 personnel packages as he loves to have a balance of run and pass but he loves to run the rock. He will be surrounded by nothing but young and high-upside Lamborghinis at Alabama. So who will he choose as his signal-caller?
The case for Jalen Milroe will be a pretty easy one. He will get the first crack as the starter going into the spring. Nick Saban has always given the elder statesmen in the room the first run with the first offense. Milroe is a Lamar Jackson-type player, if I had to compare him to someone we have seen in college football. He is a very dynamic football player with tools that not a lot of players have.
His ability to run the ball could be a key to the run game as Rees loves to run GT counter out of different 12-personnel formations. I could see him mixing it up and using Milroe for his running ability in the QB read scheme. As a passer, the jury is still out as we have seen minimum action from him outside the Texas A&M game. He showed flashes of what he could become as an overall player. Athletically we know what he can do, but going into the spring we need to see how he can put it all together.
Ty Simpson, a consensus five-star QB coming out of high school in 2022, is the other option with experience on the roster. People around the program know what his capabilities are as a signal-caller. He has the ability to move the chains with his legs and the ability to move around in the pocket. While extending plays, Simpson does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield looking for an open receiver. As a passer, he is the better option between him and Milroe, in my opinion.
When you watch Simpson’s film, you see the natural release of the football leaving his hand, and he can make the throws outside the numbers. Not a lot of experience under his belt, so he has a clean slate.
This wouldn’t be a Nick Saban QB controversy if I didn’t name a surprise candidate for the position. Eli Holstein, a 6-foot-4, 237-pound early enrollee out of Louisiana, is a kid I think can turn heads. As the Twitter streets say, “he is what they supposed to look like.” He has a big arm and is a natural athlete with a solid pocket presence at the quarterback position. Holstein has a chance to make a presence on the depth chart. Once he catches up to the speed of the college level, he will be a real impact player for the Tide now or it could come later.
This battle is going to be similar to the 2011 battle between A.J. McCarron and Blake Sims because they were unknowns like Simpson and Milroe. With the substantial amount of evidence, I am going to make the case for Jalen Milroe. Milroe will have the upper hand due to his game experience. If there is no real separation between the QBs, he will start the opner against Middle Tennessee by default. It will be an interesting spring and fall in Tuscaloosa for Nick Saban to figure out the offensive philosophy.
