All eyes will be on the quarterbacks when Alabama football opens fall camp next Wednesday, but the competition may prove to be pretty anticlimactic. Ty Simpson seemingly has a stranglehold on the job. He came out of spring practice in the lead, something that OC Ryan Grubb stated months ago, and Kalen DeBoer later confirmed.
At SEC Media Days last week, Simpson got a prominent endorsement from one of the defensive leaders. Permanent team captain and star LB Deontae Lawson was complimentary of all three quarterbacks, but what he said about Simpson all but confirms what everyone already knows.
"Ty Simpson is definitely the guy right now," Lawson said. "He's an established vet. Haven't seen that much playing time on the field, but I'm sure he's ready to embrace the opportunity and lead our team to where we need to be."
That's not exactly a surprise, but it's still the first indication from a player on the team stating what the coaches have said in the past. Simpson is seen as the guy by his teammates, too. He has embraced a leadership role, and it appears that he's won the team over, and everyone is ready to follow him into battle.
That doesn't mean the competition is fully over. Mack and Russell could look so good during fall camp that they force the issue. More likely, however, is that those two will be in competition with each other to determine which is the primary backup to Simpson.
Ty Simpson is likely to start, but he'll have to perform to keep the job
What Simpson won't have is the long leash afforded to Jalen Milroe last season. Alabama has to have steadier play at the QB position in 2025, and the turnover-worthy plays have to stop. Milroe was a turnover machine last season. He threw 11 interceptions and fumbled nine times. His spectacular plays were just that, but turnovers are a backbreaker.
DeBoer was clearly worried about the ramifications in the locker room if he benched Milroe last season. Because Milroe certainly earned it a time or two, especially in Norman and in the ReliaQuest Bowl, but DeBoer stuck by him. That was a byproduct of DeBoer coaching a team that wasn't his; last season was all about holding the locker room together. This year, this is fully DeBoer's team. He will coach it as such.
Mack and Russell are too talented to sit on the bench if Simpson struggles. He is inching closer to earning the right to take the first snap against Florida State in five weeks, but that doesn't guarantee he'll take the last one.