Alabama QBs in 2024

[gtgilbert]

I don't think JM has hit his ceiling, but I also don't think he deserves to learn how to bet better "on the job" next year.

He's got flaws that 10th grade QBs struggle with. He needs to either make incredible improvement in the off season* OR take his Covid year and sit and learn how to be a real QB. If he tries to play thru it at Bama I don't think it'll end with what we want next year.

*I'm not sure there is enough time to fix the fundamental issues he struggles with like reading defenses/vision/timing in one off season. I think he's mile behind where Hurts was at this stage of his time at Bama. And it has to start with learning how to read the RPO as the defensive end takes him or the running back. He can't even do that yet.

No COVID year available for JM. COVID year was 2020, and JM signed in 2021.

JM isn't just behind where Hurts was at the same stage. Hurts stepped on campus ahead of where JM is NOW, after 3 years in the system. It also didn't help Hurts to have to start year one. He had to try to learn on the job and that's really, really hard. JM had 2 years to learn the playbook, work on timing, learn about D alignments and what calls to make, where checkdowns are, what O Line protections are, etc, but has not yet made any progress in those areas.

 

[81usaf92]

He is going to be all in on LANK again next year. That does more damage than folks realize. There is a reason for the doubt. Fix that, then brag.

Aside from it being a way for kids to make money I really only see negative issues with the whole thing. No it didn’t lose us the game but it revealed far more about our team than what people realize.

Aside from it being a saying that you would expect a travel team softball to come up with, it reveals that they are absolutely concerned at the outside noise. Lank stands for Let All Naysayers Know, and implies that you care about the “naysayer” opinion to begin with. This team came across as more of a “I told you so” team more than a “prove doubters wrong” team. There is nothing wrong with that but if you are going to talk big and put it in someone’s face when you do something constantly then you better be ready for the response when you get embarrassed or lose. I just get the impression that much of this team used LANK more as a way to continuously get away with talking big and it was less of a team uniting standard.

The Rose Bowl press conferences between Michigan and Alabama couldn’t be more different. Alabama players wanted to talk about past wrongs by former staffers, buy into their opponent’s cheating allegations, and everything under the moon . Michigan players kept reiterating that this was a business trip and losing this game would make the best season in Michigan history a failure. Michigan appeared wanting to beat Alabama and Alabama looked to want to beat naysayers. We were the better team but Michigan was the better prepared team.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Well yes, but QBs work with other QBs in the offseason as well.

He can still have a QB and learn from someone with unique skill sets such as Lamar.

I agree with B1G. Milroe needs a REAL QB coach.

Jackson would probably just say "do it like I do it"...

 

[CB4]

We will be banging our heads against a wall this time next year still waiting for an efficient QB. I don't see a change coming. It is what it is...

That is just it. You won’t win championships with a serviceable QB any longer. And while McCarthy isn’t what you would consider “elite”, he is far from “serviceable”.

Milroe at this point of his development, I would consider “serviceable”. He can make that “wow” play that makes you see the potential, then he can follow it with a “head scratcher” where you think “where did that come from?” The proverbial “two steps forward, one step back” type player.

My major concern for JM is “taking the next step”. We have been spoiled with Tua, Mac, and Bryce somewhat because they seemingly had that “base knowledge” of pre-snap defensive and working through progressions when they arrived. I’m not so sure how much of that “teaching” took place for JM prior to his arrival.

That is “the question”. A bunch of teaching and learning needs to happen in the next 6-8 months.

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

I hope that this spring we try to run the Bama Offense of two years ago and let the best QB win the job based on how they run it...

Of course, Coach didn't ask my opinion.

 

[bamacon]

So how soon does Ty Simpson announce he's hitting the portal?

Does what he saw last night give him pause OR is his mind made up?

Probably as soon as he gets the NIL offer from tOSU

 

[westide]

So how soon does Ty Simpson announce he's hitting the portal?

Does what he saw last night give him pause OR is his mind made up?

It isn't necessarily who's in front of him. It is a couple behind him that is going to push him. Simpson had his chance and didn't take the bull by the horns.

 

[bamacon]

I think Saban learned with the Hurts/Tua situation, but he has to be willing to do it again. I know people didnt have as much confidence in Simpson, but there were many situations where Milroe missed open receivers, didnt get rid of the ball when he needed to and one or two glaring situations where he should have just tucked it an ran for his life...................I hope there is an open QB competition in the Spring, and I hope all of them are given a fair shot at it, because I think Milroe has hit his ceiling and wont go higher

Saved me from posting this. Thx

CNS has shown us how he can and will evolve and yet everyone pretty much says he won’t change anything about the QB situation. Can’t have it both ways. No chance he waits another generational QB on the bench after watching this season unfold. It’s one thing for Bryce to wait behind Tua but whole different thing with what awaits Spring Training.

 

[Bill from NYC]

I think Saban learned with the Hurts/Tua situation, but he has to be willing to do it again. I know people didnt have as much confidence in Simpson, but there were many situations where Milroe missed open receivers, didnt get rid of the ball when he needed to and one or two glaring situations where he should have just tucked it an ran for his life...................I hope there is an open QB competition in the Spring, and I hope all of them are given a fair shot at it, because I think Milroe has hit his ceiling and wont go higher

I couldn't agree more. Next season will be the 4th for Milroe with the team. If he bombs again and goes to grad school, should we keep him in 25 and 26?

We need an honest, open QB competition and I really do hope that Simpson doesn't transfer out.

 

[REBELZED]

Just saw this on JessN's game review article: Milroe completed almost 70 percent of his passes but most where dump-offs.

All year long he's had "good stats" but this just shows how undependable and misleading they can be. Did we ever hit a pass over 20 yards in the air?

We had a few posters all season long touting Milroe's "efficiency" and his "yards per attempt" and other stats as proof he was better than we all thought. And we had a whole lot of "I told you so" posters when the wins started rolling in.

But all along they were just turning a blind eye to all the flaws Milroe always had and all the mistakes he was making that weren't necessarily showing up in the stats (missed/incorrect reads, late throws, throws that should have been INT's, etc). To me it was the antithesis of what CNS stresses all the time in "The Process" - they were focusing on results instead of fundamentals.

Look, I think Jalen is a great kid/teammate and tries hard and wants to do things the right way. But I also think it is important to stay self-aware and conscious of areas for improvement without deeming that as "naysaying."

I am afraid our team might have let some of the positive press after the SECCG (and negative press about the strength of the Big 10 - which is still accurate) go to their heads. They looked unprepared for a fairly straightforward gameplan from Michigan, Milroe most of all...

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

... We were the better team but Michigan was the better prepared team.

I don't think this is actually true. We've been saying for months that we were not the same team that played Texas in September. Sure looked like the same to me in Pasadena, meaning that the two best opponents on our schedule exposed the same series of flaws on both sides of the ball that we'd schemed around the entire year.

 

[UAH]

When CNS gets back to T-town he needs to sit JM down and say: "If you want to be QB next year you will learn how to execute the 'Bama offense;' not this watered down, hit or miss version of what we did this year."

Just my opinion but when a QB after so much time in the program is making mistakes that resemble that of a freshman in his first game it is what it is! There are many examples last night but one I will site is him looking away, apparently to the sidelines late into the snap count and completely missing a low snap. The lacking the judgement to pick the ball up and attempt to make something out of the play vs slipping down and holding the ball. It goes on an on! Making short throws to receivers with a defender or two are right on them when all he had to do is avoid one defender to possibly score. A coach can talk until blue in the face but someone has to " be at home" when you attempt to communicate with them!

 

[KillVols]

When you have arguably the best players its not their fault because it's the poor coaching. When you turn over coaches as often as you brush your teeth you are going to have some real troubles. We settled for both O and D coaches. We got out coached last night. I am glad we won the SEC and beat Georgia preventing the threepeat. That is enough for me this year.

Having sack and snap issues every game this year is a product of really poor coaching. This can also happen when you are fitting a round peg into a square hole. (JM) It's been keystone cops all year. No more sandlot! We have plenty of running backs that can run. Give me AJ McCarron every day of the week. That shouldn't be very hard to find. Oh we have one... his name is Simpson.

Seems to me this problem pokes its head up every few years at bama. Do we go with the RB/QB - live by the sword or die by the sword. Or do we go with the guy that can actually execute the position. Happy New Year Crimson Faithful!

 

[Rush]

If it can't be fixed then expect another lost season next year. The players picked Milroe this year - not Saban.

I don't think this important, underlying truth can be emphasized enough.

We all saw what happened in the USF game, when the "players' choice" had been benched.

And as this likely represents a disturbing reality in this new era of "free agency / unbridled NIL" in college football, CNS will have to walk a very fine line in moving next year's team forward...

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I think the players picking Milroe is overrated tbh but I'm not in the locker room so what do I know.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I remain more concerned that we're having these discussions about QB, center / OL, etc than I am about the individual players.

The 2023 Alabama football team was the most talented (on paper, according to recruiting rankings) of any CFB ever, yet they never felt dominant. It concerns me that our coaching staff seems good but not elite. And ALL of this lands on the desk of the HC.

I don't care about how many 5* Bama has if they aren't coached to their potential and put in a position to properly execute. And we've not seen a truly dominant Bama team in almost half a decade now (2020 will always be unique).

So at this point discussions about QBs, position groups, etc. feels an awful lot like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic to me.

 

[BamaMoon]

We had a few posters all season long touting Milroe's "efficiency" and his "yards per attempt" and other stats as proof he was better than we all thought. And we had a whole lot of "I told you so" posters when the wins started rolling in.

But all along they were just turning a blind eye to all the flaws Milroe always had and all the mistakes he was making that weren't necessarily showing up in the stats (missed/incorrect reads, late throws, throws that should have been INT's, etc). To me it was the antithesis of what CNS stresses all the time in "The Process" - they were focusing on results instead of fundamentals.

Look, I think Jalen is a great kid/teammate and tries hard and wants to do things the right way. But I also think it is important to stay self-aware and conscious of areas for improvement without deeming that as "naysaying."

I am afraid our team might have let some of the positive press after the SECCG (and negative press about the strength of the Big 10 - which is still accurate) go to their heads. They looked unprepared for a fairly straightforward gameplan from Michigan, Milroe most of all...

You are slinging truth bombs @REBELZED!

Two things especially:

1. The antithesis of the process: man, I hadn't thought about that but what JM delivers is results that aren't according to the fundamentals/process as CNS preaches.

2. We let too much outside noise in with the LANK crap. Yeah, it's cool until you lose and you didn't let the naysayers know. How about a team that just goes out and wins and doesn't talk about it until they win it all?

 

[BamaMoon]

I remain more concerned that we're having these discussions about QB, center / OL, etc than I am about the individual players.

The 2023 Alabama football team was the most talented (on paper, according to recruiting rankings) of any CFB ever, yet they never felt dominant. It concerns me that our coaching staff seems good but not elite. And ALL of this lands on the desk of the HC.

I don't care about how many 5* Bama has if they aren't coached to their potential and put in a position to properly execute. And we've not seen a truly dominant Bama team in almost half a decade now (2020 will always be unique).

So at this point discussions about QBs, position groups, etc. feels an awful lot like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic to me.

I'd kindly ask what can be done about it?

Here we are first time in a 3 year period of not winning a title and it's plain and obvious the product the last two years isn't yielding the results we want.

 

[Easttexastide]

Look no further then the last play Michigan knew milroe couldn’t throw it what else could we have called. Yes he did win us some games but he was the reason he had to win those games in the first place. It’s not one play it’s 4-6 during a game that instead of taking a 10-12 yard pass to open receiver he never sees him because he is locked on the go route at 50 yards.Then we go 3 and out or it’s second and 10 instead of moving chains

 

[Mystical]

If it can't be fixed then expect another lost season next year. The players picked Milroe this year - not Saban.

Worked out pretty good. Lets not forget Michigan has an elite defense. They have confused every qb they've face all year. Kyle McCord looked good against everyone else except for Michigan. The guy does not throw interceptions and threw 2 to Michigan. We had the lead with 3 minutes to go. This wasn't a Ohio State situation where the QB throws an interception that directly cost them the game. Before the Ohio State game I thought the Michigan's defense was over rated because they hadn't played a top offense. After the Ohio State game my eye brows raised. Then they dominated us in the trenches and our receivers couldn't get separation.

Maybe if another QB had played we would have still been where we were last night maybe not. Maybe that other QB would have won the game for us probably not. The players pick the qb every year. Coach Saban has always said you must win the locker room. The players loved Jalen Hurts but they chose Tua. Coach Saban stubornly stuck with JH when clearly the locker room wanted Tua after seeing what he was doing in practice. If the new guy comes in and light it up have no doubt the players will choose him. Have no doubt the players want to win.

Bottom line that Michigan defense is elite and they are well coached and discipline. I kept pausing the game trying to see if we had guys open and just not throwing it to them. For the most part we didn't. Their coverage was excellent all night.

The National Championship game should be really good. MP has the running ability of JM with additional lateral mobility and the ability to throw the ball all over the field. He also has 6 years of college playing experience. This is a top 5 offense vs a top 5 defense. Michigan was clearly up for playing us if they get up for playing Washington I think they win that game also.