Alabama had its final scrimmage of spring practice on Thursday, ahead of Saturday's A-Day open practice.
The most intriguing storyline of spring practice in Tuscaloosa has been, unsurprisingly, the competition at QB to replace two-year starter Jalen Milroe. It's a three-horse race between redshirt junior Ty Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack, and 5-star true freshman Keelon Russell.
All three players have generated positive headlines in the spring. The majority of reports have indicated, however, that Simpson is leading the pack. But head coach Kalen DeBoer is nowhere close to naming a starter. He knows he needs all three guys to maintain some semblance of depth at the position going into the fall.
On Thursday, following Alabama's final spring scrimmage, DeBoer spoke with Ryan Fowler on his The Game 100.9 radio show and offered his perspective on what he's looking for out of the position.
"We want that playmaker. I don't want just a game manager out there," said DeBoer. "If we're gonna win at the level we want to win at, we want a guy that's gonna produce."
My, how the game has changed. It used to be that "game manager" wasn't a bad word. Coaches liked a game manager out there. The guy who controlled the game and might not throw for 400 yards, but wouldn't make critical mistakes that cost you a game, either. Old reliable was often good enough to get it done.
Alabama won plenty with game manager types. Both Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron won national championships as that archetype.
But the game has changed. So has the regime in Tuscaloosa. To operate the offense DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb want to run, you need a playmaking QB. One who isn't afraid of some risk because they'll often reap a high reward.
DeBoer's comments are interesting. The guy who fits the bill as the most "game manager" type is probably Simpson. The guy who is going into his fourth year in the program and knows the system inside and out. Now, Simpson can certainly be dynamic. He was a 5-star recruit in his own right.
But if you look at the tea leaves - and, really, that's all we're doing here - it's not difficult to make a leap that Russell might fit the bill as that "playmaker" DeBoer is looking for. Russell has taken reps with the first team offense throughout spring, and it has been noted by many observers that he is obviously the most talented QB on the roster already. But playing QB as a freshman - especially in a league like the SEC - is a tall task.
Nothing has been decided at QB during spring practice
It should come as no surprise that DeBoer won't be naming a starting QB anytime soon. This race will extend into fall camp, which was the plan all along. Even if a player had clearly separated himself in the competition, naming a starter now serves no real purpose outside of alienating the other two players competing for the job.
"I know people want to know a decision and things like that," said DeBoer. "For us, it’s just we don’t feel like they’re to the point where there’s separation, where there’s a ceiling that they’ve hit. And I think it’d be pretty foolish to make a decision right now."
This summer will be critical for all three guys. How much will they grow over the summer? How much work are they willing to put in? It stands to reason that Simpson is in the lead and is the safe bet to be the starter. But how far would Russell or maybe even Mack raise the ceiling of this team? Is it worth how much they would lower the floor?
All of these are questions that DeBoer must answer. In less than six months, Alabama will take the field in Tallahassee for a season opener against Florida State. Who DeBoer chooses to trot out there is the most important decision he'll make in a critical year two for him at Alabama.