Alabama Football: Mac Jones’s floor vs. Bryce Young’s ceiling

Alabama football is taking the safe route with Mac Jones.

There was a debate early in the summer about who would win the starting quarterback job for Alabama football. Despite this early competition, it appears that Mac Jones has cemented his spot as the team’s starter under center. There are plenty of reasons why Jones was the right choice, but part of it has to do with his high floor.

We’ve seen Mac Jones in an Alabama football game before. We know what he brings to the table, and it works for the Crimson Tide. He can carry the tempo, make a few highlight plays, and let the stars around him shine. He won’t put the team on his back, but he can be a strong piece to a balanced offense.

If Alabama had chosen Bryce Young, it would have been due to his massive ceiling. Young could fizzle out in a college football game, but he could also be a true Heisman contender. Crimson Tide players have been praising him for his early work in practice.

Why Alabama football went with the high floor vs. the high ceiling.

With the skill players around the QB this fall, it makes sense to go with the safe bet. Mac Jones made some costly mistakes in the 2019 Iron Bowl, but he was great in his other starts last year. The defense will be improved, so the Crimson Tide can go back to their old style of managing time of possession and field position.

However, that doesn’t mean that Bryce Young won’t get his chance to shine. This quarterback competition reminds me of Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa back in 2017. Alabama went with the known floor of Jalen Hurts for almost the entire year, but they turned to Tua’s high ceiling when they needed a spark. If Alabama football ever needs a spark in 2020, they could easily ask for Bryce Young to step on the field.

Either way, Nick Saban knows what he is doing. He made the right decisions in 2017, and he’ll make the right decisions in the upcoming college football season.