of alabama crimson tide Big news came after the disappointing loss in the bowl. michigan wolverines on tuesday, Quarterback Jalen Milroe announces intention to enter 2025 NFL Draft.
Milroe, a redshirt junior, has been Alabama's starting quarterback for the past two seasons, leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff in 2023, but missed the cut in 2024. I missed it.
It was a rather down year for Milroe statistically, with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but the quarterback brought some stability to the Crimson Tide's position.
Now, they have big questions to answer at the most important position in football. The question is, who will be the starting quarterback in 2025? Let's take a closer look at the options.
Ty Simpson
Ty Simpson opted to return to the program to back up Milroe again last season, and the redshirt sophomore is the top candidate to win the starting job as he is the most experienced player in the room. may be considered.
Although he hasn't exactly been productive on the field in his few seasons at Alabama, attempting just 50 passes over the past three years, Simpson is a former five-star recruit. He currently leads a team with three scholarship quarterbacks.
austin mack
Mack, a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024, comes to Alabama from Washington with head coach Karen DeBoer and could also get a chance to start.
Although Mack is still a freshman and has less experience than Simpson, the Crimson Tide is looking to bring in a five-star quarterback in the 2025 class. So while it looks like a tough battle for the 2024 four-star at the moment, the competition should be open for next season.
Kieron Russell
This leaves us with the youngest and most attractive player of the trio. That's Kieron Russell, a five-star quarterback in 2025 who is ranked the No. 2 signal-caller in the class.
Russell, a multi-year starter at Texas powerhouse Duncanville, is considered the future of the Crimson Tide and has a big chance to compete for the starting spot, even as a true freshman. I believe that it has been done.
“With Jalen Milroe leaving, it opens up a lot of opportunities for me,” Russell said at the Under Armor All-American Game this week. “Obviously, you don't need to be behind someone and watch him take over a little bit instead of just going there and trying to win a starting position. I'm going to continue to have that idea in any case. is.
“But let’s be honest, we have a starting quarterback all year long.” [in Milroe]. You're going to give him the playing time that he needs, and as a senior, you're going to give him one last chance to show off what he's done because he's going to go draft. In other words, [with him leaving instead of coming back for his senior season]it brings me many opportunities. . Honestly, at the end of the day, I'm just ready to throw the ball. ”
Now, it's one thing to be the most interesting candidate for the job, it's another to actually win the job, but Russell is a competitor who understands the process.
“If I don’t win, [the starting job],i haven't [going to be] No baby either for that matter. I won't cry. I don't think the world has ended for me. I'm competitive. You've seen Jalen Milroe lose his job. Not to point that out, but you saw Jalen Milroe get robbed of his job years ago. So it's always something that's going to happen. . “I feel like I just go there to compete, and the best comes from that.”
But the five-star quarterback is coming in with the mindset that he expects to win the starting quarterback spot, which is a big change for Alabama.
“I feel like I'm a quarterback who doesn't handle pressure very well. I'm more of a confident quarterback. I want to go out there and that's it. If I'm going to compete, I [going to] Win the starting position. ”
The Crimson Tide doesn't appear to be going to the transfer portal, leaving a big decision in 2025.
They have invested heavily in a five-star quarterback who is currently around 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, meaning the offense will likely change to support Russell.
However, the freshmen have a wealth of talent, and that talent will be on display as they compete for starting spots in the spring.
