SEC Media Days getting started next week in Atlanta is the surest sign yet that college football is almost here. We're so close to having legitimate ball to talk about, instead of purely tea-leaf reading speculation.
Media Days is a four-day event beginning on Monday, and Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama players he has chosen to bring with him to Atlanta will speak on Wednesday. You can view the full schedule here.
Heading to Atlanta with DeBoer will be seniors Tim Keenan III and Deontae Lawson, along with junior Kadyn Proctor. That gives you an immediate hint at the leaders of the 2025 football team. Keenan and Lawson are no surprise as fifth-year seniors, but it speaks to how Proctor has stepped up that just over a year after initially leaving the program to transfer to Iowa, he's one of the leaders of the team.
But more interesting than who is attending is who isn't. And that's redshirt junior Ty Simpson, the presumed starting QB for the Crimson Tide this season. Simpson's exclusion is proof that Alabama still very much has a QB battle heading into fall camp, even if Simpson is the heavy favorite for the job.
Ty Simpson has not won the Alabama QB job yet
The majority of SEC teams that have settled QB situations are bringing their QBs to Atlanta with them. Even first-year starters like Gunner Stockton at Georgia and Austin Simmons at Ole Miss.
Simpson is a leader of this year's team, but he won't make the trip to Atlanta with DeBoer. He's still got work to do in the fall to prove that he's the guy to lead the Crimson Tide into Tallahassee for the season opener against Florida State.
He exited the spring as the leader, but DeBoer has notably not named a starter, despite OC Ryan Grubb hinting at it being Simpson coming out of spring practice. By all accounts, Simpson has had a nice summer. He performed well at the Manning Passing Academy, opening eyes in the process with his arm strength and ball placement.
But redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell haven't been sitting around, either. They've worked to improve their skills, and they're going to look to push Simpson for the starting job when practice gets started in a few short weeks.
The expectation remains that Simpson will be the Tide's starter this year. But his staying at home next week is just further proof that the job hasn't yet been won, and DeBoer will be evaluating all options once camp opens.