Greg McElroy sees 'pretty simple' outlook on Alabama quarterback battle

With Jalen Milroe preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft, Alabama is looking for their next quarterback. It’s looking like a race between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, and one will have to separate themselves over the next couple of months.

It sounds complicated, choosing between three talented signal-callers. However, Greg McElroy believes many are overthinking it. He thinks Simpson is the clear leader in the clubhouse, and it’ll be tough for Mack or Russell to unseat him before the start of the 2025 season.

“I feel like my comments on the Alabama quarterback situation have been over analyzed to the point where it’s over the top. I mean, I love the passion that people have for the quarterback position and how this thing could all shake out, but guys, it’s pretty simple as it relates to the quarterback spot there. You have a veteran in Ty Simpson. At this point, Ty Simpson has played in games. At this point, Ty Simpson has taken meaningful reps. At this point, Ty Simpson has earned the trust of the coaching staff over the course of the last year and change,” McElroy stated, via Always College Football with Greg McElroy.

“They announced him as the backup quarterback last year for a reason. They felt like, in the event in which Jalen Milroe got hurt or left the game, Ty Simpson would be well equipped to step into the situation and play pretty well. That’s why he was the backup. So, when I said this earlier in the year, ‘Ty Simpson has firm control,’ that was the exact verbiage I used. He has firm control of the quarterback spot.

“What that means is that if Ty Simpson goes out in the spring and or summer and or fall camp and does what he needs to do in all likelihood, he will be the starter Week 1 of the college football season. Means that the veteran guy, the guy that the staff has entrusted in the past — he’s probably the guy to beat. If he goes out and takes it and goes and wraps his hands around that starting job, seizes control and won’t relinquish, then it’s his job. I think, knowing where he was on the depth chart going into spring, it’s going to be kind of hard to edge him out in 15 practices.”

All told, McElroy doesn’t expect Alabama to struggle much at quarterback, even with Milroe heading to the NFL. They’re in a more than solid spot at the position at the moment, and we should have a clearer picture over the next few months.

“I think Alabama is in a good spot at quarterback right now,” McElroy added. “They have a leader, I think, in Ty Simpson. They have a guy in Austin Mack that they still very much like. They have a superstar in the making potentially in Keelon Russell that needs to be developed accordingly over the course of time. But we’ll see where it goes. It’s going to be awesome to watch.

“But don’t overanalyze the pecking order in spring. It’s just spring football. Analyze more extensively what things look like here in the summer and throughout fall camp.”

Greg McElroy may not want fans and media members alike to overanalyze the position, but let’s be honest, it’s going to happen with Alabama. He’s expecting Ty Simpson to land the gig, but time will tell if the young quarterback can secure the confidence of the Crimson Tide coaching staff before the start of the 2025 season.