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Don’t get your hopes up: Nothing that happens Saturday during Alabama’s new A-Day format will be the deciding factor in who debuts as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback Week 1 against Florida State.
Anticlimactic, yes, but that doesn’t mean spring isn’t an important data point in one of the most fascinating quarterback battles in college football that bears following.
For Alabama, it remains a three-headed battle.
Veteran Ty Simpson entered spring practice as the prohibitive favorite to win the starting job and leaves with that same favored status. The former five-star quarterback has the most experience and patiently waited for his chance to run the offense after battling Jalen Milroe for the job two seasons ago.
Simpson is more athletic than he gets credit for, and he’s been around the program for a long time. Last season, he elicited strong support from those within the program even if he never started over Milroe. There’s a reason he didn’t transfer either of the last two offseasons despite plenty of opportunities. Even with all the time at Alabama, though, he has still only thrown 39 career passes with zero touchdowns.
Austin Mack is Simpson’s biggest competition, though there are mixed opinions on how real of a chance he has at winning the job. There have already been transfer rumblings around Mack, a California native who initially signed with Kalen DeBoer’s Washington program and then became the first player to follow him to Tuscaloosa. The 6-foot-6 quarterback should benefit from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb being back at Alabama, and he has a raw skillset that’s enticing. Mack is still a mystery to fans in many ways and might be the most interesting player to watch Saturday when he runs with the…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/inside-alabamas-2025-qb-battle-where-ty-simpson-austin-mack-keelon-russell-stand-entering-spring-game/
Author : John Talty
Publish date : 2025-04-10 15:13:00
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