Alabama Crimson Tide news and notes from Wednesday and Thursday, August 27th and 28th.
Ty Simpson sought out Nick Saban for advice ahead of his first start
In one day, Ty Simpson will make his first career start as he leads Alabama into Tallahassee to battle Florida State. It's a moment Simpson has patiently waited for. The redshirt junior has bided his time, originally committing to Alabama in the 2022 class.
Simpson lost the starting QB job to Jalen Milroe in 2023, and never really had the opportunity to compete for it last year. Now, his patience has finally paid off and he's one of the unquestioned leaders of this Alabama team.
Ahead of his first start, Simpson shared that he spoke with the head coach he came to Alabama to play for, Nick Saban.
LT Overon says the weather won't be a factor on Saturday
The forecast for Saturday has continued to call for heavy rain and potential storms. That could be a major factor in this game, and the team that handles the conditions the best will likely be the one that finds success.
According to LT Overton, well, Alabama doesn't care in the slightest what the weather forecast is. Instead, the Crimson Tide is focused on playing to the standard they know they can play to, regardless of circumstances that are outside of their control.
Tim Keenan to miss a few games
Alabama starting nose tackle Tim Keenan III will miss the first few games of the season. He suffered a high ankle sprain in practice this week and will undergo a tightrope procedure to repair it.
The hope for Keenan is the same as it is for Jam Miller: to be back in time for the road trip to Athens at the end of September. But results have varied on tightrope procedures in the past, with some getting back quickly and others missing extended time.
With Keenan out, Alabama has plenty of depth on the defensive line, but will have to rely on more unproven players like Jeremiah Beaman to take on big roles. Fortunately, Alabama has a lot of versatility up front to mix-and-match between the defensive line positions.
5-star Alabama commit Jireh Edwards makes a vow Tide fans will love
One of Alabama's top commitments in the 2026 recruiting class is 5-star safety Jireh Edwards from Baltimore. Edwards joined the Tide's class in early July, and is one of five 5-stars committed to Kalen DeBoer at the moment.
Any concerns about Edwards potentially flipping were removed when he shut down his recruitment. Edwards took it one step further this week, stating he didn't believe in the Transfer Portal.
Edwards has a chance to break into the rotation immediately for the Tide as a freshman next season, but he also understands the level of talent that will surround him in the secondary when he gets to Tuscaloosa. He's in no rush. He's willing to bide his time and work for playing time.
Kalen DeBoer's bold statement about Alabama's QB coaching
Much to the chagrin of Alabama's beat reporters, DeBoer is not nearly as outspoken as Nick Saban was. DeBoer has a remarkable talent to say a lot without really saying anything at all. It's perfect coach-speak, but undeniably frustrating for those who cover the team and are looking for interesting angles for fans.
That's why it was outright shocking to hear DeBoer declare during "Hey Coach" on Wednesday night that Alabama has the best QB coaching in the country. He specifically shouted out OC Ryan Grubb and QB coach Nick Sheridan.
That statement should make Alabama fans even more confident heading into tomorrow's game. All reports about the QBs have been positive, and Simpson was the clear winner in the competition. At this point, I'll be much more surprised if he doesn't play well than if he does.