The spring buzz is about to get quiet in the college football territory shortly. Coach Kalen DeBoer has a decision to make before the dust settles. Jalen Milroe’s legacy is a foregone conclusion. The Tide is now at the cusp of stepping into their new QB1 era. The Alabama head coach gave no clear distinction between the three workhorses in his room, namely, Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell, and Austin Mack. Each of the three contending QBs has their share of trade-offs. But the guy who’s around the block for a while seems to have a slightly deeper edge than the rest. Buy it or not! Bama’s OC Ryan Grubb came clean with his unofficial take.

Ty Simpson, the Nick Saban guy, has been the most veteran in the house. The popular narrative screams that “If Mack ends up beating out Ty, he’s probably going to transfer.” I mean, that made the most sense. Look at his leadership! That pushes the guys to give their best every single day. Last but not least, with so many traits on his card, he upheld dog loyalty.

When the Tide camp saw a mass exodus over Nick Saban’s sudden departure, Simpson could have easily hit the portal and explored other opportunities. But instead, he chose to hang on and kept honking his craft. Now, when Grubb has said that if the Bama needs to kick off their season tomorrow, they have a de facto starter to go with; with little squares and cubes, there is depth.

Did his age and experience qualify him? Apparently, yes. Insider Kyle Henderson put it into logic. “Ty Simpson is 22 years old, and Austin just turned 18 or is 18. Then Keelon Russell is about to be 18 on April 24th. There’s a big difference in maturity from somebody who’s 22 to 18 to 17, and not to say that Austin Mack isn’t mature or anything like that. Because you know the coaches have been very complimentary of each of the quarterbacks,” Henderson continued hyping up the Tennessee native. “But I think that’s an added benefit to Alabama, another reason that we should get behind Ty Simpson.”

Mack, the standout Washington transfer, comes second in the pecking order. DeBoer highlighted how he put himself on the grind each day to get the most reps. He has some elite football ahead of him. However, Alabama cannot afford to rely on an untested player during DeBoer’s crucial second year. Ty could be the safest to have a shot. “I want the best guy to play, period. Okay? And if that is Ty Simpson, then let’s roll with Ty Simpson.” Henderson had a subtle yet commanding message for Kalen DeBoer.

Will DeBoer pay heed and quickly wrap up the QB conundrum at Tuscaloosa? Still a mystery, but he, to some extent, put his points out there. A good chill pill for Simpson and his advocates.

Kalen DeBoer has an uplifting message for his QB phenoms 

Just reverse the narrative; if it’s Mack, Simpson might be on the portal. It’s pretty much vice versa. DeBoer can find his most seamless fit if the redshirt junior changes his mind if he’s not given the opportunity. Dismissing the stance to some extent, the head coach said he has a deep relationship with Mack. Well, a no-brainer! The kid followed DeBoer to Alabama from Washington State, and not for nothing.

DeBoer continued, “He sees the growth. He sees the development. We got a lot of great hard workers on the football team. He’s near the top of that list, as far as just the work he puts in. So I’m excited for him.”

The battle is far from over. Keelon and Mack will, however, continue to expand the horizon of a steady offense going forward. At least, that’s how the head coach expects it to be. “I know there’s a trust that has to exist between coach and player – I think that’s growing and existing with all three of the guys, because they all did start with a different starting point, as far as Austin coming with us, Kelon being recruited by us, and then of course Ty, the experience we had with him last year,” DeBoer sees a wholesome depth in his QB room.