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The Alabama Crimson Tide have a major question mark on offense: Who will be the starting QB? Former Heisman trophy winner Bryce Young is off to the NFL after being picked No. 1 overall by the Panthers.
Now, three inexperienced options will battle it out in an offseason competition. Head coach Nick Saban took to the podium at SEC Media Days on Wednesday to talk about his program, but he didn’t give fans many answers.
When asked about the quarterback race, Saban remained uncertain.
“We have three guys,” he said. “I don’t think anybody has separated themselves to this point.”
Those three players are Ty Simpson, Jalen Milroe, and Tyler Buchner. That trio boasts just four starts at the college level.
Milroe filled in for Alabama last year when Bryce Young went down with injury. The Tide won his lone start against Texas A&M. In that game, he showed his versatility by throwing for 111 yards and rushing for 81 more.
He’ll have to beat out Simpson, a former five-star recruit who threw just five passes last season, as well as the Notre Dame transfer, Buchner.
Buchner, too, has experience as a starter though with the Fighting Irish. In his three appearances last year, Notre Dame went 1-2 with season opening losses to Ohio State and Marshall. Buchner was injured in Game 2, though he’d return in time for the team’s bowl game versus South Carolina.
In that 45-38 victory, the passer threw for three touchdowns while adding two more on the ground. Unfortunately, he also threw a trio of interceptions, two of which were returned for scores.
This appears to be a competition that will continue up through the season opener, but former Alabama QB Greg McElroy has pinpointed his top option.
He’s been adamant on his opinion that Ty Simpson will be QB1 for the Tide in 2023.
.@GregMcElroy came through and dropped some knowledge on us regarding the Alabama QB situation and why he believes Ty Simpson will eventually be QB1 in Tuscaloosa
Full conversation:https://t.co/hljfYuNBl1 | @BOL_On3 pic.twitter.com/0CdHXx86xS
— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) July 18, 2023
He noted Simpson’s familiarity with the offense, having been in Tuscaloosa for a season already. He also mentioned Milroe’s susceptibility to turnovers, which was on display last year.
While Buchner has the most experience of the three, he doesn’t see a transfer coming in and winning over the locker room quickly enough to become the starter. At least for this season.
Not everyone agrees, including co-host Roman Harper who said the job is Milroe’s to lose.
Others on social media gave their opinions on McElroy’s comments, too.
The fan wrote, “We’re not listening to Greg. In Milroe, we trust.”
Another said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Simpson was third on the depth chart.”
It seems that no one really knows how the Alabama QB race will unfold, including Nick Saban. We should have a few more answers as the season nears.