Here’s what the Alabama football quarterback room looks like heading into fall camp

Heading into last season, there was quite the quarterback battle on the Alabama football team.

So much so, it was not revealed who would be starting Alabama's opening game vs. Middle Tennessee until the depth chart was released prior to the season-opening contest.

Jalen Milroe ended up being the primary starter for most of the season outside of the South Florida game, going on to be named a permanent team captain and second team All-SEC. Now, Milroe returns at the front of the Crimson Tide quarterback room which also returns Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan and adds Austin Mack from the transfer portal.

Alabama lost quarterbacks Tyler Buchner and Eli Holstein from its 2023 roster to the transfer portal. Buchner transferred to Alabama from Notre Dame prior to the 2023 season, but ultimately transferred back to Notre Dame following Alabama's College Football Playoff run, winning a lacrosse national championship with the Fighting Irish in May. Holstein meanwhile transferred to Pitt after not appearing in any games as a true freshman at Alabama.

Also new within the Crimson Tide quarterback room is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan, who joined the Alabama staff in February after Kalen DeBoer was named head coach in January.

Despite Milroe returning as the presumptive starter, competition remains high within the Crimson Tide quarterback room. Here is how it looks heading into preseason practices. Every scholarship player and any notable walk-on is mentioned:

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The options for Alabama football at quarterback

Presumptive starter: Jalen Milroe, r-jr.

Reserves: Austin Mack, r-fr.; Ty Simpson, r-so.; Dylan Lonergan, r-fr.

Milroe completed 187-of-284 passes for 2,834 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023, while rushing for an additional 531 yards and 12 scores, leading Alabama to an SEC Championship and to the College Football Playoff.

Simpson was Milroe's primary backup in 2023, where he made six appearances, completing 11-of-20 passes for 179 yards. Simpson has shown he can come off the bench and make in impact, most notably when he replaced Buchner is last year's game vs. USF, leading the Crimson Tide to 17 unanswered points and a 17-3 victory.

Lonergan saw time in one game in 2023, seeing time vs. Chattanooga, where he went 2-for-2 for 12 yards passing with one rush for five yards.

Austin Mack transferred to Alabama in the spring from Washington, following DeBoer. The 6-foot-6, 226-pound Mack redshirted his freshman season so did not see time on the field but was a four-star prospect out of Folsom High School in Loomis, California.

The upside

Milroe has one full year of starting experience under his belt. He also has a new offensive scheme he will be working under in DeBoer and Sheridan, one that will have an emphasis on the passing attack that should work well for the dual-threat quarterback.

In DeBoer's first season at Washington in 2022, the Huskies offense finished No. 1 in the country in yards per game (396.8/game) and No. 7 in scoring (39.7/game). In 2023, Washington's offense finished No. 2 in the country in yards per game (343.7/game) and No. 13 in scoring (36/game).

DeBoer also coached Michael Penix Jr., a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2023 and the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Penix Jr. finished the 2023 season leading the NCAA in passing yards (4,903) and finished second in 2022 (4,641).

Milroe has the chance to lead Alabama on another College Football Playoff run this year and to have a Heisman Trophy run of his own.

One question or concern

Is the Crimson Tide prepared if Milroe is forced to spend time on the sideline?

Despite Simpson serving as the primary back-up in 2023, Milroe is ultimately the only member of Alabama's quarterback room with a full season of real-game SEC experience under his belt.

Simpson, though, has proven he can get it done when coming in as a backup. Outside of the USF game, Simpson also scored on a two-point conversion in Alabama's contest vs. Ole Miss and saw a few snaps vs. Mississippi State and Kentucky

It will likely once again be Simpson in the primary backup role with Mack and Lonergan competing for the No. 3 spot.