Alabama Quarterback Won’t Start if Not ‘Appreciably Improved’

If Jalen Milroe doesn’t dominate spring practice and show out at Alabama’s A-Day spring game on April 22, Roll Bama Roll’s Erik Evans isn’t sure the 20-year-old will be the Crimson Tide’s starter in 2023. Redshirt freshman Ty Simpson and Class of 2023 arms Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan represent Milroe’s competition this spring.

Evans was optimistic that Milroe at his best is someone new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and co. can rely on if all is going well, but all going well was something the Roll Bama Roll writer was bearish about. “The Texas A&M game showed that Alabama can win with Milroe if everything goes right, and the Arkansas game showed that he can light up soft ground defenses, but Jalen’s accuracy and processing speed is going to need to get a lot better, a lot quicker if he expects to be a full-time starter,” he wrote.

The job is not Milroe’s to lose right now. If he doesn’t show that he is a better quarterback than what we saw in 2022, Evans sees Milroe riding the bench for someone living more up to his potential. “If he’s not appreciably improved, then I just don’t see him being the first option under center,” Evans wrote.

Evans doesn’t see Rees leaving a fanbase dying to see production under center for one with even higher expectations. “Tommy Rees did not leave Notre Dame to inherit another quarterback mess with a fan base even more rabid and impatient than the Domers,” Evans wrote.

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Jalen Milroe Took Shot From Texas Governor

Milroe not only has Alabama analysts wondering if he has what it takes to lead Alabama, but he also has a high-ranking critic in the state of Texas.

Lone Star State governor Greg Abbott took a shot at Milroe during a business luncheon in Dallas on March 9, predicting the Longhorns knocking off the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on September 9.

“I have seen what appears to be Alabama’s starting quarterback, and he’s no Bryce Young,” Abbott said per The Statesman’s Ryan Autullo.

“I’m gonna say it’s gonna be 27-21, Texas Longhorns,” Abbott predicted.

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Ty Simpson Predicted to Win Starting Job

Evans believes that Simpson is likely to be the quarterback that ends up starting Week 1 of the 2023 season on September 2 against Middle Tennessee despite maintaining a redshirt in 2022 and receiving minimal snaps.

“Ty’s probably the favorite for the starting job, despite playing in just four games and completing 4 of 5 for 35 yards,” he wrote.

Not only does Evans see Simpson as the best option in the Crimson Tide quarterback room, but the Roll Bama Roll writer believes the coaching staff does as well. “If you put a gun to the coaching staffs’ heads, in a moment of candor they’d probably admit they want to see Simpson claim the QB1 job with a no-doubt offseason of quality practices and a crisp, efficient spring game,” he wrote.

Evans also stuck by a bold prediction that Simpson would wind up being a better quarterback than Texas recruit Arch Manning. “I stand by my prediction of last year too: I still think he has a better career than Arch Manning.”

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