Alabama is holding an open competition for its starting quarterback job this offseason, and Greg McElroy has a prediction for how that is going to go.
Many were surprised when former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner transferred to Alabama, as that left Nick Saban with a crowded quarterback room. Buchner is now competing with Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson for the QB1 job. While Milroe and Buchner are viewed as having the upper hand because of experience, McElroy believes Simpson will be the guy.
McElroy, who quarterbacked Alabama to a national championship in 2010, thinks Saban will go into the season without a clear-cut starter before quickly making a decision.
“Jalen Milroe’s the most dynamic, he has the most athleticism and I think he has the highest ceiling,” McElroy said, via On3’s Steve Samra. “Here’s the problem, there were 16 turnovers last year by the Alabama offense, he accounted for five of them. And he only started one game. So that is problematic. He has to be smarter with the football.”
Because of Milroe’s struggles protecting the ball, McElroy feels either Buchner or Simpson will ultimately win the starting job. He cited Buchner’s running ability and relationship with new Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who served in the same role for Notre Dame the past three seasons. Still, McElroy views Simpson as the best option.
“Down the stretch, if I were to bet on one of the three horses, I think Ty Simpson’s probably going to be the guy throughout the course of the season,” McElroy said. “But it all depends on how you perform in fall camp, and the type of decision making and whether or not you can win the team.”
Alabama is looking to replace Bryce Young, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2021 and helped the team to an 11-2 season in 2022. Buchner obviously believes he has a real chance to win the job, otherwise he would have transferred elsewhere. The comments Saban made after Buchner chose Alabama indicated that the coach was truly keeping an open mind with the QB position.
