Alabama’s 2023 college football season begins in less than a month against Middle Tennessee at home on Sept. 2. With fall practice underway for the program, some players are preparing to return to the field, while others are fighting for a starting job.
When the 2022 season concluded, the Crimson Tide lost some key contributors on both sides of the ball. Replacing linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and running back Jahmyr Gibbs will be no easy task, but we could all make an educated guess as to who will step up into the starting role at both positions.
The one position that’s causing the biggest issue? Replacing quarterback Bryce Young.
Heading into the 2023 offseason, the competition was expected to be between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. After the Tide’s A-Day springtime, Saban went to the transfer portal to bring in former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner. Landing Buchner wasn’t much of a surprise, as he had previously played under Alabama’s new offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, who held the same position for the Fighting Irish the year prior.
At SEC media days, Saban compared the competition to baking a cake. You can’t take it out of the oven early. What he means by that is: it’s too early to tell who the starter will be at this point.
Now, the three-man race for the starting job is fully underway. Only a few weeks stand between the Crimson Tide and Week 1. Here are a few updates shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, by reporters and observers of Alabama’s practices.