Last month, Ty Simpson was predicted to be the Alabama Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback next season, and Jalen Milroe was headed into the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the fates of young athletes are hardly written in stone, as several signal-callers are fighting to start.
Per reporting from On3’s Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos, former five-star recruit Keelon Russell is staking his claim despite only enrolling in Tuscaloosa less than a month ago.
“Kee is competing hard, he’s a competitor. But as a whole, nobody is a clear-cut No. 1 because all of them are alphas,” a source said to On3.
Simpson, a former five-star from the 2022 class, has seen limited playing time over the last three years — although, far from enough to justify him earning the job outright.
In an article predicting Simpson to be the likely starter at Alabama, ESPN distilled its selection by stating, “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.”
It’s worth noting that head coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t recruit Simpson, but he did recruit Russell.
All of the quarterbacks inherited by DeBoer before his arrival — Pitt’s Eli Holstein, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Boston College’s Dylan Lonergan — transferred out because they may have seen the writing on the wall that their time was up in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson
Wiltfong and Nakos’ reporting also included big observations about other key Alabama freshmen. From a source:
“(Safety) Ivan Taylor, (wide receiver) Derek Meadows, freaking (offensive tackle) Jackson Lloyd, (offensive lineman) Michael Carroll, (cornerback) Dijon (Lee), (wide receiver) Lotzeir (Brooks), all our freshmen — we’ve really been excited and surprised by our freshmen. All of our dudes are thriving, it’s unreal. And they’re fitting in well with the team.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson
“Ivan, he’s a pro. He handles everything. He and (EDGE) Justin Hill, those dudes are pros. They finish, they work hard, they do extra, they’re in the training room, they take care of their body. They come in from a professional mindset and a great background. This class is a home run.”
The Crimson Tide had the No. 3 recruiting class in 2025. They added three five-star players total in Russell, Carroll and Lee, and seven players ranked in the top 100.
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