ESPN Predicts Alabama's Starting Quarterback For 2025

With quarterback Jalen Milroe off to the NFL, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is heading into his second year in charge with uncertainty under the center for the first time. 

Gone are the days where Alabama has too many options at quarterback like they once had with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. The Crimson Tide must now head into the new era with a largely inexperienced arm if they don't plan on bringing in a quarterback from the transfer portal.

ESPN recently did their starting quarterback projections for the SEC and other top college football conferences. The combined efforts of Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg examined the Alabama situation and determined that there's one quarterback who seems like the favorite to get the job: redshirt junior Ty Simpson.

The writers explained that Simpson has the most experience with spot duty in 16 games for the Crimson Tide, with his most significant play coming late in a 2023 win over USC. 

"Of the four quarterbacks the Crimson Tide signed across three recruiting classes from 2022 to 2024, Simpson is the only one remaining on the roster, and Jalen Milroe's move to the NFL draft offers him a clear shot at the starting job in 2025. Simpson has appeared in parts of 16 college games, with his most significant college action coming when he replaced Milroe and led the Crimson Tide to 17 unanswered points in a September 2023 win at USF. With pressure on coach Kalen DeBoer after a 9-4 finish in 2024, Simpson is Alabama's most experienced quarterback, and he should be given an opportunity to claim QB1 duties in the fall if the Crimson Tide don't add through the portal before then," the outlet wrote.