At its best, the Alabama offense was one of the most efficient in the country in 2024, but because of Jalen Milroe’s unique play style, it looked nothing like the offense that Kalen DeBoer rode to the 2023 National Championship Game with Washington. Now, with Milroe in the NFL and DeBoer’s longtime offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb back from a one-year stint in the league, the Tide’s offense will be built in DeBoer’s image, but that doesn’t guarantee a big step forward.
The Alabama quarterback battle hasn’t officially been decided, by DeBoer will likely be handing the reins of his and Grubb’s offense to redshirt junior and first-year starter Ty Simpson. With an elite receiving corps led by a sophomore Ryan Williams, and a talented offensive line, the floor on the offense with Simpson at quarterback should be quite high, but the Tide’s biggest offensive X-factor could blow the ceiling off in Tuscaloosa.
Freshman QB Keelon Russell is the ultimate X-factor for Alabama’s offense
Simpson has only thrown 50 passes across his three seasons at Alabama, and he carries a five-star pedigree of his own, but in the limited sample, it’s clear that his skillset is that of a game-manager. He’ll get the ball out accurately and on time, but lacks the game-changing physical gifts that made Russell such a special prospect.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound QB is a bit slight and can at times find himself writing checks that no arm can possibly cash, but that’s where the critiques end. He’s a high-level athlete with a rare combination of quickness and speed for the quarterback position, but unlike Milroe, he’s always looking to make a play wth his arm first, either from inside the pocket within the structure of the offense or with his innate ability to buy time and turn second-reaction plays into explosives.
Russell is oozing with natural arm talent, with the ability to drive the ball to all levels of the field and access off-platform throws that most quarterbacks would never dare to attempt. His arm arrogance can lead to mistakes, but it also led to 52 touchdowns in his senior season at Duncanville High School and plenty of ridiculous highlights.
In the perfect offensive ecosystem, Simpson can thrive, much like Mac Jones did with arguably the most talented offense of the Nick Saban era in 2020, but in just the second year of his tenure, it’s unlikely that everything will be quite that pristine for the first-year starter. Tyler Booker won’t be easy to replace along the interior of the offensive line after he became the No. 12 overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys this spring, and with Justice Haynes leaving for Michigan in the transfer portal, the Tide have alarmingly little returning production from their backfield.
After missing the College Football Playoff last season, DeBoer knows he needs to lead Alabama to the CFP or he may not see Year 3 in Tuscaloosa, so if Simpson struggles at any point throughout the year, DeBoer could find himself itching to pull the ripcord and ask the talented true freshman to save the season, or to elevate a stagnant offense to the level of a national title-winning unit.
Russell is too talented to spend the entire season on the sidelines, so it could be a matter of when, not if, we’ll see him take the field in 2025. That makes him the biggest X-factor for the Alabama offense and a potential ceiling-raiser at the most important position on the field.