We all knew that replacing Bryce Young would be a difficult task for Alabama, but it appears head coach Nick Saban has not settled on a starter with the season a little over two weeks away.
According to Saban, he is not quite sure who will be leading Alabama behind center to start the season. And, even if someone starts the first game against Middle Tennessee, there is a chance that someone else may start the Week 2 game against Texas.
Saban told the media in a video uploaded by On3 that he is waiting for someone to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
“Like I said in here before, I told the quarterbacks, I said quit looking around for me to make a decision about who’s going to play. How about you play and good enough that I don’t have a choice?” Saban said. “That’s what you can control. That’s what you can do, and somebody needs to do that. And it’s sort of taking shape to some degree, but somebody’s somebody’s got to do it.
He explained that even if someone does win the job, the battle still won’t be over.
“Where you all think that whoever we name is a starter for the first game, that’s like the end of it. It’s not the end of it. It’s just the beginning. What if a guy doesn’t play good? He’s not entitled to keep playing. And the guy that doesn’t play has got every opportunity to practice and be more consistent and win the team over so that when he gets an opportunity to play, he plays really well. I mean, we have changed quarterbacks around here a few times during the season. So I know you guys are looking for an end, but it’s not even going to be the end in the first game.”
The three contenders right now for the starting spot are Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe who was the backup last season to Young. For Texas, there has to be some sort of confidence building up in the fact that Alabama is unsure about who their quarterback will be.
The Longhorns appeared to have the upper hand this past season before Quinn Ewers went down, and with more depth and experience this could be a statement win.
That Week 2 matchup can shape the season for both teams, but Texas being on the right side of the scoreboard could be a program shifting win.