The biggest question marks heading into fall camp last season surrounded who would become Alabama's starter at quarterback. This season under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, there is no question who will start, but instead how Jalen Milroe can grow under one of the best offensive minds in college football.
"He's got a skill set that is special," DeBoer said of Milroe at SEC Media Days. "With his arm, he can make you pay and he can make the throws, and I think he's continued to grow in that area, building confidence in himself, just tirelessly working with the receiving corps, actually all the skill players, just to be on the same page."
DeBoer helped developed Michael Penix Jr. into a Heisman-caliber quarterback at Washington and looks to build on Milroe's sixth-place finish last season.
Milroe won the starting job at Alabama in 2023 after serving as Bryce Young's backup in 2022. He was benched for the South Florida game, but took back over the starting role in the SEC opener against Ole Miss. Milroe would go on to throw for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns with another 531 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
As a returning starter and captain, the quarterback job is Milroe's to lose, but the Crimson Tide has multiple capable, yet inexperienced options behind him with redshirt sophom*ore Ty Simpson, redshirt freshman Dylan Lonergan and redshirt freshman Washington transfer Austin Mack.
Simpson has the most in-game experience of the three backups. He appeared in six games last season, leading Alabama to the win at USF after entering in the second quarter. In today's portal world, it would have been easy for Simpson to transfer out knowing he would have to fight for the starting job behind a returning starter. But he stuck with the program instead of trying to find an automatic starting job at a new school.
Lonergan only played in one game in his true freshman campaign (Chattanooga) but came into Alabama has a highly-touted two-sport athlete before turning his focus strictly to football. Mack is one of four offensive players to follow DeBoer and key offensive staffers from Washington to Alabama. He did not appear in any games for the Huskies last season after graduating high school early to join Washington as an early enrollee.
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan had the opportunity to work with Mack in Washington and now Tuscaloosa. All four scholarship quarterbacks got significant reps in Alabama's version of a spring game back in April.
"I feel lucky to coach the guys in my room," Sheridan said in March. "They embrace coaching, they want to do well. I’m excited about the group.”
Projected Depth Chart
- Jalen Milroe
- Ty Simpson
- Dylan Lonergan
- Austin Mack
1. Jalen Milroe- Redshirt junior, 6-2, 220 lbs
Worked as Alabama's starting quarterback in 13 of 14 games in 2023 and was voted a permanent team captain at the end of the season. He was a finalist for the Manning Award, three-time SEC Offensive Player of the Week and was the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 SEC Championship Game. Milroe has 3,172 career passing yards with 29 total passing touchdowns. On the ground, he's added another 851 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Served as Milroe's backup in 2023, appearing in six games with no starts. He threw for 179 yards last season with 86 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Simpson does not yet have a passing touchdown in his first two season with the Crimson Tide. Redshirted in 2022 after appearing in four games.
3. Dylan Lonergan- Redshirt freshman, 6-2, 212 lbs
Had one appearance in 2023 where he threw for 12 yards on two passes in Alabama's 66-10 win over Chattanooga. He was the Crimson Tide's most efficient passer on A-Day, going 8 of 12 for 67 yards. A consensus four-star player at quarterback out of high school, while also being a highly-rated baseball player who was initially committed to play baseball for the Crimson Tide, too. Lonergan threw for3,412 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia.
Did not see playing time at Washington last season after enrolling early from Folsom High School. As a junior at Folsom, he helped lead his team to a 12-2 record and the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division I championship. Mack went 6 of 9 for 33 yards on A-Day, but a lot of his reps came while Alabama had walk-ons in the scrimmage.
2024 position previews
Defensive backs
