No matter how well he recruits in the offseason, Kalen DeBoer needs to lead Alabama to the College Football Playoff in his second season at the helm to ensure that he holds onto arguably the most coveted job in the sport. And his hopes, no matter how an offseason battle plays out, will rest on a first-year starting quarterback.
The good news is that, as the Walter Camp Preseason All-America Teams revealed, it's obvious that the first-year starter, likely Ty Simpson, will be entering the most ideal offensive ecosystem you could create.
Ryan Williams and Kadyn Proctor will to ease the burden on Ty Simpson in 2025
Alabama was one of five teams to have three Preseason All-Americans, and joined Ohio State and Notre Dame with two first-teamers: wide receiver Ryan Williams and left tackle Kadyn Proctor. Both former five-star recruits have lived up to those lofty expectations, and having stars, not just on offense, but at those two positions in particular, is a unique advantage of the Alabama offense.
Aside from quarterback, the two most valuable offensive positions in football are wide receiver and left tackle. That’s not an argument; it’s empirically true, at least at the NFL level. The 15 largest contracts for offensive players in the NFL are currently paid to quarterbacks, the next 12 are either to wide receivers or offensive tackles (3 left tackles, 1 right).
There’s less public information about NIL and, as of July 1, revenue-sharing payments to college players, but it’s safe to assume that they follow similar trends to the professional level. Which makes Alabama’s offense particularly enticing to any starting quarterback, but especially one like Simpson, who has attempted just 50 career passes as he heads into his redshirt junior season, or five-star freshman Keelon Russell, who may make a push for the job at some point this year.
Williams was an explosive threat as a 17-year-old freshman, averaging nearly 20 yards per reception and turning his eight receptions on targets over 20 yards downfield into 434 yards and five touchdowns. Though he’s not an overwhelming physical specimen, his rare body control allows him to win at the catch-point against defensive backs, and his elusiveness as a runner led to 16 missed tackles forced and an impressive 8.3 yards after the catch per reception.
As Williams’ target share continues to increase, his efficiency may fall off slightly, but aside from just being excellent, he’s the style of wide receiver who makes life easier for a quarterback, adjusting to throws slightly off-target, turning 50/50 balls into 70/30 propositions, and constantly threatening to take a screen or a slant the distance. And Proctor will give Simpson the time to get the ball to his elite group of playmakers.
A two-year starter at left tackle, Proctor made a massive improvement from his freshman to his sophomore season. After surrendering 36 pressures and 12 sacks in 2023, he allowed pressure on Jalen Milroe just 15 times in 2024 and got his quarterback sacked just three times. At 6-foot-7, 360 pounds, he’s a force in the run game, and quite the impediment to pass rushers.
Alabama’s offensive line is in flux, replacing two starters from last season: left guard Tyler Booker, who became a first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, and right tackle Elijah Pritchett, who transferred to Nebraska. Still, with Proctor and veteran center Parker Brailsford entrenched at the two most important positions on the line, Simpson can navigate the pocket with confidence.
Despite the uncertainty at quarterback and turnover in the trenches, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the Alabama offense in 2025; Williams and Proctor, chief among them. If those two play up to All-American expectations, Simpson doesn’t need to be a superstar right away for Alabama to fight for an SEC title, and the QB-friendly ecosystem around him increases the chances that he’ll develop into one.