Looking back now, it's funny to remember how the early part of the Nick Saban era was remembered for "game managers" at quarterback. There was a legitimate question over whether Saban would ever have a true difference-maker at the position.
Then came the run of Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young all in a row. From Hurts all the way through Ty Simpson, the last six Crimson Tide starters have been third-round picks or better in the NFL Draft.
Alabama has had an embarrassment of riches at the position.
Today, we take a look back at the Saban era and rank the 10 full-time starting quarterbacks. That excludes guys like Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett, who started one game each; we're sticking with the guys who were THE starters for each season.
Power-ranking all the starting quarterbacks of the Nick Saban era at Alabama
10. John Parker Wilson
JPW was a three-year starter at Alabama and was the first starting QB of the Saban era, piloting the Tide's offense in 2007 and 2008. After Alabama started 6-2 in Saban's first year, Wilson and the Crimson Tide faltered down the stretch by losing four in a row before winning the Independence Bowl.
In 2008, Wilson was the true definition of a game-manager, riding an elite defense and ground game to lead Alabama to an unbeaten regular season. He did that while only throwing 10 touchdown passes.
9. Jalen Milroe
This isn't a slight to Milroe, who was the final starting quarterback of the Saban era in 2023. In reality, it should go to show you how elite the quarterback play truly was during Saban's 17 years in Tuscaloosa. Because Milroe was a good player, finishing 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting during the 2023 season.
After a Week 2 loss to Texas, Alabama won 11 straight games, including the SEC Championship over Georgia, to get into the College Football Playoff. They ultimately lost in overtime in the Rose Bowl to eventual national champion Michigan in what was the final game of Saban's coaching career.
8. Blake Sims
Sims began a new era for Alabama football as the starter in 2014 under Lane Kiffin's guidance. The Crimson Tide began airing it out more, and Sims had a prolific year in his one season as the starting QB. His connection with Amari Cooper was lethal, leading Alabama to the SEC Championship and a berth in the CFP.
Though Alabama came into the CFP as the 1-seed, they fell in the Sugar Bowl to eventual national champion Ohio State despite Sims and the offense putting up 35 points.
7. Jake Coker
Sims had a more prolific season as the starter, but Coker edges him out in this ranking because he led Alabama to the national championship. Obviously, he rode the coattails of an elite defense and a Heisman Trophy-winning RB in Derrick Henry, but Coker's moxie played a major role in the Crimson Tide winning it all.
After getting benched for the Ole Miss game, Coker flipped the switch, wrestled the job back, and never looked back from there. He made several big-time plays throughout Bama's run, including a 335-yard passing day in the National Championship Game win over Clemson.
6. Greg McElroy
McElroy was a two-year starter for the Crimson Tide in 2009 and 2010, and while he was certainly a game manager, his 24-3 record as the starter speaks for itself. He threw 37 touchdown passes to just nine interceptions in his two years as the starter.
McElroy will always be remembered as Saban's first title-winning QB in Tuscaloosa, leading Alabama to a perfect 14-0 record in 2009. He had an even more prolific season statistically in 2010, completing just under 71% of his passes, but an extremely talented - albeit complacent - Alabama team lost three games.
5. Jalen Hurts
The first and only true freshman starter of the Saban-era, Hurts burst onto the scene in 2016. After not starting the opener against USC, Hurts came off the bench to replace an ineffective Blake Barnett, and the rest was history. He was the SEC's Offensive Player of the Year that season, racking up over 2700 passing yards and 950+ rushing yards with 36 total touchdowns.
Alabama ran through the regular season undefeated, won the SEC, and eased past Washington in the Peach Bowl to get to the title game against Clemson. They unfortunately came up short, despite Hurts putting Alabama ahead with a TD run late in the fourth quarter.
Hurts' career is remembered best for getting benched in the title game the following year for Tua Tagovailoa, but it was his rescuing the Crimson Tide in the 2018 SEC Championship Game when Tua got hurt that sticks out to most fans and defined his career at the Capstone.
4. AJ McCarron
McCarron was among the game-managing crop of quarterbacks, but none of them did it better than him. He's the only Saban-era QB to win multiple national titles as the starter, leading the Crimson Tide to back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012.
Across three seasons as Alabama's starting QB, McCarron led the Crimson Tide to an incredible 36-4 record. He wasn't as statistically dominant as the guys above him on this list, but he won more than anyone else.
3. Mac Jones
Jones only started one season, but his 2020 campaign might be the best season ever for an Alabama QB, and that Bama team might be the single best in school history, too.
Jones led Alabama to a perfect 13-0 mark as the starter that season, running through a 10-game SEC-only regular season, winning the SEC Championship over Florida, and then knocking off Notre Dame and Ohio State to win the national title. No team will ever face that gauntlet again.
In doing so, Jones completed an absurd 77.4% of his passes for 4500 yards and 41 touchdowns to just four picks. It was a Heisman-worthy season that was overshadowed by his teammate, WR DeVonta Smith.
2. Bryce Young
Between Bryce and Tua, it's a total coin flip. They both are deserving of the top spot, and you can really make it a 1A, 1B situation.
Young is Alabama's only QB Heisman Trophy winner, grabbing the award after a prolific season in 2021. He took over for Jones and led Alabama to an 11-1 mark in the regular season, put the Tide on his back to beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, and then faced a rematch against the Bulldogs for the national title. Unfortunately, injuries to Jameson Williams and John Metchie proved too much for even Young to overcome.
He had another absurd year in 2022, finishing his Alabama career with a 24-4 record as the starter.
1. Tua Tagovailoa
I lean Tua over Bryce simply because of how magical it felt watching him play. Alabama had never had a QB as dominant as he was in 2018, and that is before mentioning his off-the-bench rescue in the title game against Georgia before it. The 2nd-and-26 touchdown pass in overtime to win the National Championship is arguably the greatest play in program history.
He was robbed of the Heisman in 2018, and then a brutal injury ended his Alabama career the following season. Alabama went 22-2 across his 24 starts. His 199.4 career passer efficiency is still an NCAA record.
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