Alabama starting QB: Who will likely replace Jalen Milroe in 2025?

Kalen DeBoer's Alabama is looking for a new quarterback after Jalen Milroe declared for the NFL Draft at the end of the 2024 season. The candidates for the new signal-caller are Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell.

Simpson and Russell are former five-star recruits, with the difference that the former is on his redshirt sophomore year and the latter is a true freshman.

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While both of them were directly recruited from high school by Alabama, the third option, Austin Mack, initially enrolled with Washington and changed schools when Kalen DeBoer joined the Crimson Tide.

The favorite for analysts and oddsmakers is Ty Simpson, who has three years on Alabama's roster. Simpson even fought for the starting spot against Jalen Milroe and Tyler Buchner during Nick Saban's last season, taking over from the former in an early season game against South Florida in 2023.

Through three seasons with Alabama, Simpson has accrued 381 passing yards with no touchdown passes or interceptions. He also has 130 rushing yards, with three touchdowns, in 22 carries. He currently has odds of -650 to become Alabama's next starting quarterback.

Josh Pate on why he believes Ty Simpson will be Alabama's next quarterback

Popular football pundit Josh Pate agrees with the betting agencies that Ty Simpson is the favorite to earn the starting spot. Speaking on his Josh Pate's College Football Show this week, he said the following about Simpson:

“I have done some digging... I think Ty Simpson’s the overwhelming favorite to win that starting job. I know there’s going to be a lot of talk, as there should be, about the fact that DeBoer recruited Austin Mack when he was in Washington.

"And Ryan Grubb was there and they recruited Austin Mack. … Now, he’s transferred to Alabama and he’s been there a year. Knowing all that, I’m telling you I think it’s Ty Simpson’s job to lose."

However, not everything is set in stone. Alabama's coach, Kalen DeBoer, spoke with the media on Monday and touched upon the quarterback situation. He said that he's far from making a decision yet and would like to see his three signal-callers fight out during spring practice.