What Kalen DeBoer Wants to See from Eventual Winner of Alabama's Quarterback Contest

The Crimson Tide coach detailed attributes he is looking for from his team's eventual 2025 starter.

Nov 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) goes to pass off against the Mercer Bears during the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— The Alabama football team has a quarterback competition on its hands entering the 2025 season. That much is no mystery. What is still up in the air is who will win it.

Naturally, there is no definitive answer yet. Monday was the first day of spring practice, with a long way to go until the season opener on August 31against Florida State. Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell will continue to battle it out throughout the offseason.

Second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke Monday about what he's looking to see from the player who eventually does earn the right to start the opening game. Last season, DeBoer's first Crimson Tide team had Jalen Milroe as its signal caller. Milroe opted to enter the NFL Draft after the campaign's conclusion.

"It's gotta be a guy that can deliver the ball, command the huddle, command everything we need as a team," DeBoer, whose coaching experience includes working with multiple high-profile quarterbacks, said.

On the surface, those might seem like intangibles every team wants from its starting quarterback. That is absolutely the case. However, an offense can be caught between a rock and a hard place when one or more of those traits is missing, meaning they bear mentioning.

None of the three players involved in the Crimson Tide's offseason position battle have started a college game. Russell, a former five-star recruit, is a true freshman. Simpson, a redshirt junior, has seen a good bit of game action, but only rarely in high-leverage spots (a 2023 appearance at USF fits that bill).

"That presence, that belief and confidence in your signal caller [is important]," DeBoer added. "It starts with a lot of that, just the belief. But that belief comes because you've been making the throws and you're getting the ball to the guys in a fashion where they can go make their plays."

New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will be involved with the quarterbacks, while Nick Sheridan, who took over last season after Grubb joined the Seattle Seahawks, will continue his duties as quarterbacks coach.

"Coach Grubb will always still be involved with the quarterbacks. I just am a strong believer that your play caller has to be around the quarterbacks," DeBoer said.

Grubb rejoining the Alabama staff was certainly a game-changer. That affects a lot more than just the quarterback position, but the offense starts with the player taking the snaps. Who that's going to be remains yet to be determined.

For DeBoer, this is somewhat uncharted territory, at least when the sole vantage point considered is his time at Alabama. Milroe was a team captain last season, and led Alabama to the College Football Playoff and SEC Championship win in 2023. He had an up-and-down season last fall.

Mack originally transferred in by way of Washington, following his head coach. He's still a young player, having enrolled early with the Huskies. He played one game in 2024 (Nov. 16 against Mercer), throwing a touchdown pass to Rico Scott.