Spring practice is just around the corner for Alabama football with a little less than two weeks before the Crimson Tide takes the field to begin preparation for the 2025 season. As always following the departure of a starter at the position, all eyes will be on the QB battle in Tuscaloosa as three talented players will vie for the right to replace Jalen Milroe.
Redshirt junior Ty Simpson figures to start at the head of the line this spring and is the odds-on favorite to be Alabama's starter. But Simpson will have to earn it and will be pushed by a pair of talented young players in Washington transfer Austin Mack and 5-star freshman Keelon Russell.
Simpson was Milroe's primary backup the last two seasons and has seen action in 15 games across his three seasons on campus. Simpson has thrown 50 career passes and zero touchdowns. He has ran in three scores and shown he can be a dual-threat type of QB. However, his development as a passer will be key and will determine whether he can successfully run the offense the way Kalen DeBoer wants it to run.
Simpson has not had the benefit of coaching consistency during his time in Tuscaloosa. He will have his fourth different offensive coordinator during his time at Alabama. He arrived at the Capstone when Bill O'Brien was the OC, worked under Tommy Rees in 2023, Nick Sheridan in 2024, and now Ryan Grubb takes over the reins in 2025.
The good news is that Sheridan didn't go anywhere. He has remained on staff and will coach the quarterbacks, meaning Simpson will have some semblance of coaching consistency that he has not had the luxury of during his time in Tuscaloosa.
Most of Simpson's snaps have come in mop-up duty. He had one extended run of playing time when a game was in doubt and that was the 2023 road game at South Florida where Simpson replaced a struggling Tyler Buchner at halftime and led Alabama to two touchdown drives in the second half to win a forgettable 17-3 game.
Simpson's pocket presence was concerning in that game as he took five sacks, but in last year's A-Day game, he looked like a much-improved player. However, the job will not be given to Simpson based on seniority. He will have to earn it.
Austin Mack and Keelon Russell will push Simpson
The player who most benefits from the hiring of Grubb to be the OC and playcaller might be Austin Mack. Mack is entering his third season in DeBoer's system. He spent his redshirt year in Seattle with DeBoer and Grubb at Washington before following DeBoer to Alabama. Mack spent the year as the No. 4 QB on the depth chart behind Milroe, Simpson, and Dylan Lonergan. Milroe entered the draft and Lonergan transferred to Boston College, opening up a path to playing time for the talented QB.
Mack was originally a 2024 recruit who reclassified into the 2023 class. 247 considered him a Top-100 prospect in the 2023 class regardless.
Mack has great size and arm strength and Grubb has raved about him in the past. Of the three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, Mack is the only one Grubb recruited.
Regardless of who starts to open the 2025 season, it seems to only be a matter of time before Keelon Russell takes over. He is the future face of the program as Alabama's highest-rated recruit. Ever.
Russell seems like a perfect fit for DeBoer's offensive system. He'll have a stiff learning curve as a true freshman. The collegiate game is sped up considerably from what he saw in high school and at a listed 175 pounds, Russell is going to have to add some weight to be able to consistently take hits.
But he's the most talented passer on the roster and he will not be content to spend his freshman year as a backup. He wants to play and he's going to push for it immediately.
Alabama's QB room is talented yet inexperienced. The good news is with a three-man competition, everyone should get better as they push one another. Russell is talented enough that Simpson and Mack will have to improve if they want to see the field.