Let's Talk Bama QBs - '25 Season

[DzynKingRTR]

Ty will be the favorite but watching Russell yesterday I think there is a legitimate chance that he or Mack could cut in line.

One thing is for sure… DeBoer will play a guy that can read defenses and run his offense next year.

I keep seeing people raving about Mack, but he was 4th string all season. People think he will jump the line that far? What am I missing?

 

[BamaMoon]

I keep seeing people raving about Mack, but he was 4th string all season. People think he will jump the line that far? What am I missing?

People fall in love with measurables all the time.He's got 'em!

But unless he makes a move this spring, I suspect he'll never play QB at Bama.

Unless KR is a total bust, he'll probably jump him after a few practices. Yes, I'm drinking the KR Koolaid!

 

[spidermayin]

I am just glad we can stop beating the dead horse of discussing the limitations of our previous starting QB.

 

[CB4]

I think more than just measurables are influencing the notion of Austin Mack being “in the mix”. He followed CKD to Alabama in what most would consider a pretty “stacked” QB room with Milroe, Simpson, and Lonergan.

So, if you’re reading between the lines, I think you have to ask why? Mack by many at Washington was considered to be a “project”. Did he feel like tying his future to DeBoer at Alabama was a better situation than what he would get at Washington? Or maybe, looking beyond Milroe, CKD didn’t think Ty or Dylan could be the future of his offense and Mack was “encouraged” to follow him? That is a big question.

I think the Austin Mack “in play next year” is as much about speculation about why he followed DeBoer to Alabama as it is his “measurables”.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I keep seeing people raving about Mack, but he was 4th string all season. People think he will jump the line that far? What am I missing?

That 1 TD throw he had against Mercer.

It was a Good throw and I'm not going to be dismissive of him but we just haven't seen much other than that.

He looked more composed than last A-Day for sure because he looked very raw that day.

But yes to your point Dylan was ahead of him and I won't be shocked for him to be the starter at BC next year and play well.

 

[BamaMoon]

I am just glad we can stop beating the dead horse of discussing the limitations of our previous starting QB.

Dead horse???

 

[bamajas]

People fall in love with measurables all the time.He's got 'em!

But unless he makes a move this spring, I suspect he'll never play QB at Bama.

Unless KR is a total bust, he'll probably jump him after a few practices. Yes, I'm drinking the KR Koolaid!

This is just purely my gut/guess, but I took it as CKD wanted a backup who was already familiar with his system (Mack) more than a backup who wasn't (Sayin)

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

I don't care who the starter will be as long as all of the QB's start learning the real playbook right now. I bet even Ty doesn't know it all since the team never ran Deboer's offense.

It will be interesting to see if we get a QB from the portal and if any transfer in the Spring.

I wonder if they had the materials to study

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Keelon Russell may be the next great one. Then again he may not. We’ve seen a number of “can’t miss” prospects do just that - miss.

I want an open and fair competition among all them. And the best earns the nod. If you can’t separate the three, then IMO the job (at least initially) goes to Ty or Austin. Commitment has to mean something. If “all world” Arch Manning can sit behind Quinn Ewers for two years with only limited spot playing or certain packages, then so can Russell.

I am now way past this notion of the “coronation” of player and handing them the keys to kingdom out of fear they “may transfer” or making promises to keep them. I’m no longer about the guy that may leave. I’m a fan of those that choose to stay.

So let me be clear -if Russell is clearly the best option as a true freshman, so be it. Start him. But if Ty or Austin offers better chances to win, then they get the nod.

This is the way

 

[GrayTide]

The portal and NIL have leveled the playing field way more the than scholarship reductions in the 70's, 80's and 90's. With all due respect for posters who believe playing at Alabama is the be all, end all that is just not the case anymore. Loyalty to a program is long gone when the portal and NIL are in play. If Russell doesn't start or at least earn the #2 spot behind Simpson or Mack then he will likely be one and done in Tuscaloosa.

 

[BamaMoon]

The portal and NIL have leveled the playing field way more the than scholarship reductions in the 70's, 80's and 90's. With all due respect for posters who believe playing at Alabama is the be all, end all that is just not the case anymore. Loyalty to a program is long gone when the portal and NIL are in play. If Russell doesn't start or at least earn the #2 spot behind Simpson or Mack then he will likely be one and done in Tuscaloosa.

I think that's the hardest thing to figure out in this new NIL era.

In "old school" college football (before NIL and free transfer portal), a staff would probably always go with the older QB - the one who had put in the time - even if the younger guys might have been just as good and maybe even more talented.

But I'm not sure that works now. If, for instance, the staff thinks KR has the same talent/ability as TS or AM, you probably have to think really hard about starting him. And if they think his "ceiling" is the highest and he has the maturity to handle it, it would make the most sense. You could have a 3 year starter who may be very, very special.

FWIW, I still think TS has the lead to start, but I do think KR is going to be very, very good. The question is "how early" can he be very, very good.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I think Russell can be special so part of me hopes it is him. But that dude is skinny. He definitely needs to put some weight on him. Idk if he currently could stand up to a full season of SEC play.

After that idk. I'd lean Ty but the fact he's never really pushed Milroe under Saban or DeBoer makes me question him.

So maybe it will be Mack? Idk

 

[BAMA JAMMA]

I think Russell can be special so part of me hopes it is him. But that dude is skinny. He definitely needs to put some weight on him. Idk if he currently could stand up to a full season of SEC play.

After that idk. I'd lean Ty but the fact he's never really pushed Milroe under Saban or DeBoer makes me question him.

So maybe it will be Mack? Idk

While KR is not built like a tank like JM was, he has a similar build to Jayden Daniels IMO and we see he handled the SEC just fine. It’s more about what’s between the ears than the physical traits. Just look at JM for an example. Couldn’t read a D if his life depended on it.

Personally I am high on KR. Gone are the days of who’s been here the longest. NIL has completely flipped what college football used to be so you have to act in the now and future than rely on past tendencies or we’ll be left in the dust with scraps. If KR proves he can go toe to toe with Ty than he needs to get the nod just because that is how the long game is played these days. You’d build more off a freshman who shows raw talent and moldable as he grows than a veteran these days.

Im really looking forward to spring ball but none of these guys could amount to anything if our OC doesn’t get his head out of the sand. I would love to see a change there because I have not seen anything from Sheridan to give me much hope.

 

[gtgilbert]

While KR is not built like a tank like JM was, he has a similar build to Jayden Daniels IMO and we see he handled the SEC just fine. It’s more about what’s between the ears than the physical traits. Just look at JM for an example. Couldn’t read a D if his life depended on it.

Personally I am high on KR. Gone are the days of who’s been here the longest. NIL has completely flipped what college football used to be so you have to act in the now and future than rely on past tendencies or we’ll be left in the dust with scraps. If KR proves he can go toe to toe with Ty than he needs to get the nod just because that is how the long game is played these days. You’d build more off a freshman who shows raw talent and moldable as he grows than a veteran these days.

Im really looking forward to spring ball but none of these guys could amount to anything if our OC doesn’t get his head out of the sand. I would love to see a change there because I have not seen anything from Sheridan to give me much hope.

I got to watch part of the all-star game he played in, and KR played very, very well there. Great touch, used some velocity when needed, threw guys open and placed the ball over defenders. Very good stuff.

I do think he needs weight to withstand an SEC season. I get the Daniels comp, but Daniels was 210 at LSU, and Russel is listed now as 180 and that is a HUGE difference.

Again, I don't think it's fair (yet) to judge Sheridan on his abilities to call plays and adjust because he was so handcuffed this season by QB limitations.

 

[AlexanderFan]

It took a catastrophic injury for Mac to see real playing time late in 2019. If Tua hadn't been injured, Mac never sees the field that year.

I was riding with him until he said Bryce wasn’t as good as either Mac or Tua.

Bryce Young is an all pro quarterback trapped in a thirteen year old boy’s body. EVERY limitation he has is because he doesn’t have the physical body to do the things necessary.

You put that football brain in Milroe’s body and you have three Heismans and a couple National Championships.

Quarterback is that important In today’s game.

 

[AlexanderFan]

I keep seeing people raving about Mack, but he was 4th string all season. People think he will jump the line that far? What am I missing?

That one throw where Rico made an amazing catch.

Rico is not getting enough credit.

 

[TDBama78]

I think you go with Simpson, unless it turns into an absolute dumpster fire, but I don't think it will, he should be rewarded for sitting through two years of milroe that never should have happened.

 

[UAH]

Matt Wyatt out this morning with a film on Ewer's TD pass in OT against Arizona State.

It clearly shows the need of a QB to read defenses, set blocking assignments and get the ball out to the right receiver. The play wasn't perfect but it went for a TD.

We talk about DeBoer's system but it begins with a QB who can get the ball out to the open receiver.

 

[gtgilbert]

I was riding with him until he said Bryce wasn’t as good as either Mac or Tua.

Bryce Young is an all pro quarterback trapped in a thirteen year old boy’s body. EVERY limitation he has is because he doesn’t have the physical body to do the things necessary.

You put that football brain in Milroe’s body and you have three Heismans and a couple National Championships.

Quarterback is that important In today’s game.

I get what you are saying, but the reality is that Bryce is trapped in a 13 year old body. Just like we can't take the fact that JM is a physical specimen and separate that from the fact he lacks a lot of other capabilities that limit him, we can't separate the fact that BY is limited by his frame - like you said - it keeps him from doing some things that are required.

 

[editder]

I was riding with him until he said Bryce wasn’t as good as either Mac or Tua.

Bryce Young is an all pro quarterback trapped in a thirteen year old boy’s body. EVERY limitation he has is because he doesn’t have the physical body to do the things necessary.

You put that football brain in Milroe’s body and you have three Heismans and a couple National Championships.

Quarterback is that important In today’s game.

I started out agreeing with you that Tua and Mac were not better than Bryce but got a little confused after that.

Mac had a much more talented team around him: better receivers and RBs and a Joe Moore OL. Plus he had Sark for an OC instead of BoB.

Tua had even better receivers than Mac and better OCs than Bryce, especially in 2019. He was extremely accurate, but he wasn’t as durable as Bryce as he disappeared down the stretch in both 2018 and 2019.

It’s incredible what Bryce was able to do while running for his life and with receivers who, with the exception of Williams and Metchie, couldn’t get open and couldn’t catch a football regardless.

I don’t believe Mac or Tua would have done any better than Bryce in 2021 or 2022, whereas we would have still won the NC in 2020 and probably in 2019 with Bryce. Just my opinion, of course.