With Jalen Milroe off to the NFL Draft, one of the biggest question marks this spring for Alabama is the quarterback position.
Alabama’s offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb may have let the cat out of the bag as to who fans can expect to be taking the snaps when the Crimson Tide travel on the road to face the Florida State Seminoles the first weekend of the season.
During his Monday press conference, Grubb gave an update on Alabama’s quarterback competition, revealing that redshirt junior Ty Simpson currently leads redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell.
“At the end of the day, if we're playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start,” Grubb said. “He earned that. I know that's the line that everybody is looking for. But that is what he earned.”
Simpson lost out on the starting job to Milroe last year and has served as Alabama’s backup quarterback for the past two seasons. His role as backup has not been because of a lack of talent but because the guy in front of him was just a little bit more ready for the starting role. In the six games he played last season, Simpson had 14 of his 25 pass attempts for 167 yards, as well as 44 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Simpson’s accuracy and decision-making have set him apart from the other competitors as he was the only quarterback to not throw an interception in the Crimson Tide’s A-Day practice on Saturday.
“Ty has been around and just has done a nice job,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said following Grubb on Monday. “I think that [him] trending upward is a big piece of it. Ty’s an accurate thrower. There’s always going to be balls that every guy wants back, but I think the ability to learn from your mistakes, learn from other people’s mistakes, to be able to comprehend things and not be overwhelmed, I think that he’s had more time.”
DeBoer and Grubb were quick to emphasize that the season is still months away, and the competition for Alabama’s starting quarterback role is still very much in progress. But for now it is Simpson’s job to lose.
The Crimson Tide's spring workouts are officially over. At the end of May, Alabama will return to the field for summer workouts.
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