Kalen DeBoer has an Alabama Football problem. None of his 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide quarterbacks have ever started a college game. When Jalen Milroe was relegated to the sideline for the 2023 game against South Florida, Ty Simpson was a starter option. But Tommy Rees and Nick Saban went with Tyler Buchner instead. Simpson has played in 16 games in his three-season Crimson Tide career. His college passing production is 29 completions in 50 attempts. He has rushed for 130 yards.
If Simpson is the guy to lead Alabama Football to a win over Georgia, in Sanford Stadium next September, he needs as many game snaps as possible against Florida State, ULM, and Wisconsin. The same can be said for Austin Mack and Keelon Russell; except their need for game action would be more pressing than for Simpson, if either one is named the starter in August.
The situation provides a challenge for Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb, and Nick Sheridan. At least two of the three QBs need plenty of game action starting in week one. What if after the last scrimmage of fall camp, the quarterback position lacks a clear leader? How can the Alabama coaching staff get one ready to beat Georgia if two or three are still competing to be QB1? Some would dispute that this is a challenging situation, and prefer calling it a coaching dilemma.
Questioned on Monday about what he is expecting from his future QB1, Kalen DeBoer said, "It's gotta be a guy that can deliver the ball, command the huddle, command everything we need as a team ... That presence, that belief, and confidence in your signal caller... But that belief comes because you've been making the throws and you're getting the ball to the guys in a fashion where they can go make their plays."
At Washington, and earlier at Fresno State, DeBoer was never in a hurry to name a new quarterback starter. He is not expected to be in a hurry in Tuscaloosa either. But Alabama's guy that starts and gets most of the playing time against the Seminoles, needs to be the guy who can beat Georgia.
Alabama Football has plenty of talent at Quarterback
Alabama football fans will impatiently wait for a starter to be named. After seeing practice video, some Bama fans were ready for Keelon Russell to be named QB1 on Monday afternoon. It might be good to remember that Russell is not the Tide's only 5-star QB; Ty Simpson also was in 2022. Had Austin Mack not skipped his final season of high school competition, the 4-star might have been a 5-star as well. As a high school junior, Mack completed 269-of-382 passing attempts for 3,498 yards, 40 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Alabama is loaded with talent at quarterback.