2013 QB

BamaDMD

Hall of Fame
Sep 10, 2007
5,446
834
137
Rainsville Al
AJ's the best pro prospect we've had at QB in a long time. He's stated he's going & if he wins 2 NC's in a row and is a Heisman finalist, his stock will never be higher.

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I agree. I would love to see AJ stay for selfish reasons, but looking at it from his standpoint, he has nothing left to prove if he continues to do what he's doing and also wins another NC.
 

TideFan in AU

Hall of Fame
AJ is frail because he's suffered a few minor bumps and bruises after being nailed about 14 times this year? Please. He played half of last season with a shoulder injury that required significant surgery, and played great. I love ya Sip, but comparing AJ to Brodie in that respect is laughable, IMO. I also think everyone should go ahead and accept the fact that AJ is gone after this year. He has pretty much done everything short of formally announcing that he has entered the draft.
 

BamaJama17

Hall of Fame
Sep 17, 2006
16,365
8
47
34
Hoover, AL
If AJ is a projected 1st round pick, then he just needs to go. As for any other player we have. I think Ely and Simms will do just fine next year.
 

bamamc1

Hall of Fame
Oct 24, 2011
5,408
3,932
187
Haleyville, AL
AJ has stated, several times, that he intends to enter the draft after this season. I've mentioned this in another thread but AJ is one of those guys who will surprise the draft "experts" by being drafted a round or two higher than they will expect. NFL Coaches and Scouts will almost certainly have AJ much higher on their "big board" than your typical draft analyst. If AJ just does what he's done so far this year for the rest of it then he'll likely be a mid-second to early-third round pick with an outside shot at a late first round pick.

Granted, there are a few things that could cause him to stay another year such as (heaven forbid) an injury or a performance slump or something like that. Coach Saban and the NFL advisers that will talk to AJ may feel that he can greatly benefit from another year and encourage him to stay. If so, it's possible that he listens. On the other hand, there are some family pressures for him to turn pro as quickly as possible and he may listen to that no matter what.

We won't know whether or not AJ will be back next year until sometime in the spring, at the earliest. Right now he is leaning towards declaring and that is what we should expect. If he does decide, for whatever reason, to come back for another year then it should be considered a pleasant surprise.
I think there is a team up in the NE called the Patriots that might take a chance on him. Brady still has a few years left and that one would be a great person to learn under.
 

CrimsonTheory

All-American
Mar 26, 2012
3,800
2,212
187
CrimsonBleedRed
1. I want him to stay for his SR season, but I suspect he's gone.

2. I think it will Ely, but it wouldn't surprise if Cooper Batemen comes in early, gets acclimated quickly and sneaks into the QB competition. Not saying it would happen, but it wouldn't surprise.
 

DocCrimson

All-SEC
Jan 3, 2010
1,731
128
82
East TN
The chance that Bateman would make it as a true freshman is slim, at best. As much as CNS demands from all players, his demands of a quarterback are even higher. It doesn't matter how talented you might be, if you can't consistently make the right decisions in the heat of each play, you won't get the ball. We talk about this all the time with running backs' additional duties, but the sheer amount of information processing that must go on in a quarterback's mind to make the correct decisions is astronomical. Unless Bateman comes in and memorizes the playbook in a week and can read defenses better than everyone currently on the roster, he won't be the starter. The kid oozes talent, but I would be amazed if he starts next year. My guess is he will be the 4th string with a plan to redshirt him as long as we don't pull a Maryland with our QBs next year.
 

pluckngrit

Suspended
Nov 2, 2003
823
0
0
and that list scares the bejesus out of me for next year. honestly, i'm not impressed with any of them. a strong running game and solid defense will only get you so far in 13'.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,947
15,955
282
Boone, NC
Seems like I've seen a few Ely and GMac comparisons.

I'm sure this is from a physical point of view, but we also know that Gmac was/is super intelligent and smart with the football. Does Ely share a similar gift?
 
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GreatDanish

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2005
6,079
0
0
TN
New QB and several new OL isn't a good formula for success...

That is, unless you are returning TJ Yeldon, Kenyan Drake, and potentially Jalston Fowler, Eddie Lacy, and Dee Hart at RB, and Amari Cooper, Cyrus Jones, Christion Jones, Kenny Bell, Deandrew White, and Kevin Norwood at WR.

Whoever the QB is next year will certainly have some weapons.

Even if our OL takes a step back next year, I still don't expect a weak OL. I mean, we could still potentially return three starters.

I expect Ely to get the start, but certainly wouldn't be shocked if Morris or Sims got the job. That will be a good competition in the Spring, should AJ leave.
 

bamaslammer

All-American
Jan 8, 2003
4,440
1,104
282
Argo, AL, St Clair
www.kirkwoodhouse.com
I don't think Saban is against playing Sims and Ely both but more than likely one or the other would be more effective and end up being the starter. I'm not wild about freshman being your quarterback but If one of them ends up being better, we will flat have one. Without McCarron next season will be unlike any previous.
 

KrAzY3

Hall of Fame
Jan 18, 2006
10,615
4,540
187
44
kraizy.art
How the team looks will depend in large part on if AJ leaves or not. If they win a NC, not only is AJ likely a Heisman finalist, but he and some other key players will likely use the momentum to leave early. However, if Alabama stumbles and loses before the Heisman ceremony, he's likely not a finalist and he might not be able to gain the label of big game quarterback. Remember Tim Tebow was a first round pick, not because anyone thought he looked like an NFL quarterback, but because he was viewed as a winner. If Alabama doesn't get an NC, it will hurt the draft stock of a few players and leave them wanting to return to win a NC. This will set the stage for how difficult the following season will be. It could be a rebuilding year, I know it's not easy to say that, but sooner or later Alabama is going to be lacking enough key guys to go out and dominate.

Phillip Sims would have been the obvious guy. He's struggled some in Virginia but he'd have more to work with at Alabama, and likely be better developed as well. This is the first time in a long time that the obvious next guy up jumped ship, so it does throw things off a bit. Also, I think Blake Sims' time on the RB depth chart also blurs things a bit. If there is another injury at running back, do we see more of Blake in obvious running situations?

The problem with Blake is that he lacks the size and strength of a Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, or Vince Young. If he had that kind of size, he'd have an easier time passing, and he'd be harder to bring down. However, he is bigger than Pat White. It's not as though he couldn't run the Alabama offense, but I don't think he could run the Alabama offense quite like we are used to seeing. The question is if the coaches become confident enough in his passing to let him have the reigns. I could imagine him starting full time, but only if he develops more as a passer and it's easiest to imagine a two quarterback system. Ely could come in, in obvious passing situations, and if the team got too far behind, or if they had to score quick. I don't think Alabama would throw him out there and let him become a wreck like some scrambling quarterbacks have become. Either he'd have a short leash or they would avoid certain scenarios entirely.

Ely is the obvious choice if they want to go with one quarterback. I can't say too much in regards to him, but one would think he could run the Alabama offense. He might trend more towards JPW than AJ, we can't really tell as of yet, but he wouldn't require many changes in how they did things.

There are too many ifs with Bateman, I mean he's not even enrolled. However, he's a huge talent and it's possible that he's ready to play from day one. I find this highly unlikely though. They are not going to want to burn his redshirt unless they are absolutely certain he's ready to go from day one. How the season develops could greatly impact his playing time. If someone ahead struggles a lot, or is injured we could see more of him.

A lot remains to be seen, but it's hard not to imagine Blake Sims in the picture at this point. He's the one that's seen more than just mop up duty, he seems to be the second string guy right now. There's just a lot of reasons why Alabama wouldn't make him the main guy though.
 

cuda.1973

Hall of Fame
Dec 6, 2009
8,506
607
137
Allen, Texas
Wasn't his best game. Although, he did bring them back. Last year was strange..............they trailed in several games, before they got on track.
 

colbysullivan

Hall of Fame
Dec 12, 2007
16,697
13,612
187
Gulf Breeze, FL
How the team looks will depend in large part on if AJ leaves or not. If they win a NC, not only is AJ likely a Heisman finalist, but he and some other key players will likely use the momentum to leave early. However, if Alabama stumbles and loses before the Heisman ceremony, he's likely not a finalist and he might not be able to gain the label of big game quarterback. Remember Tim Tebow was a first round pick, not because anyone thought he looked like an NFL quarterback, but because he was viewed as a winner. If Alabama doesn't get an NC, it will hurt the draft stock of a few players and leave them wanting to return to win a NC. This will set the stage for how difficult the following season will be. It could be a rebuilding year, I know it's not easy to say that, but sooner or later Alabama is going to be lacking enough key guys to go out and dominate.
That, plus the fact that Josh McDaniels is an idiot. Tebow should have been a 3rd round pick at the earliest, as evidenced by his NFL career thus far.
 

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