Alabama football hasn't officially named a starting QB for the 2025 season. That's not likely to happen until sometime in the fall, if it does at all. But that doesn't mean there isn't a clear leader in the clubhouse to take the first snaps of the season.
New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb offered a bigger glimpse into the QB competition than any expected during his spring wrap-up press conference on Monday, stating definitively who the Crimson Tide would start at QB if they had a game on the horizon:
“At the end of the day, if we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start,” Grubb said. “And he earned that. I know that’s the line everybody’s looking for, but that is what he earned.”
Grubb's words are not surprising to those who have paid attention to Alabama this spring. Simpson looked like the best QB during the A-Day practice on Saturday and all reports out of Tuscaloosa indicated he was leading the competition.
Grubb was complimentary of both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, the two other quarterbacks competing for the Tide's starting job. He said that Mack "made huge strides", and that Russell "exceeded my expectations." He continued to compare Russell favorably to his QB at Washington, Michael Penix Jr.
But Simpson is setting the pace at the position. Simpson is entering his fourth year with the Crimson Tide and has waited patiently for three years for his shot at the starting gig. He was Alabama's primary backup the last two seasons to Jalen Milroe.
Kalen DeBoer wants more out of Alabama's QBs
Head coach Kalen DeBoer was complimentary of all three quarterbacks as well, but he also knows that if the Crimson Tide is going to reach its lofty goals - and the goal in Tuscaloosa is always winning a national championship - more is going to be needed from the position.
"I will say, we're not where we need to be at the quarterback position yet," said DeBoer.
DeBoer is hopeful that Alabama is able to hold on to all three quarterbacks through the spring Transfer Portal window that opens up. Mack would theoretically be the one on the chopping block and could consider a transfer if he doesn't believe he has a realistic chance at playing in 2025. That would especially be the case if he's worried he's already been passed by the freshman phenom, Russell.