Greg McElroy is aware of what it takes to be the beginning quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Issues have modified from the Nick Saban period to the Kalen DeBoer regime, however the expectation stays championship-or-bust in Tuscaloosa.
McElroy was on the great facet of these expectations in 2010 when he led the Crimson Tide to a BCS Nationwide Championship victory over the Texas Longhorns within the Rose Bowl.
The previous signal-caller spent a while as a backup quarterback within the NFL, however he is now a distinguished school soccer analyst.
McElroy believes redshirt junior Ty Simpson will in the end substitute Jalen Milroe in Alabama. Simpson is squaring off with redshirt sophomore Austin Mack — who adopted DeBoer from Washington — and true freshman Keelon Russell, a 5-star recruit from Alabama’s 2025 class.
On Thursday, McElroy went on the “Andy and Ari On3 Podcast” to debate the Crimson Tide’s quarterback competitors heading into 2025.
“I’m nonetheless of the idea that Ty Simpson is the man to beat. Now, will he beat [the others out]? Will different guys elevate and beat [Simpson out]? Maybe,” McElroy stated (h/t On3). “Ty Simpson, I feel for those who would’ve requested me two years in the past, I might’ve stated he was the man to beat as a result of that was coming from the employees. This man, as a redshirt freshman, the employees all believed his talent set would’ve doubtlessly put them in place to, if he performed his finest, be at their finest offensively.”
McElroy defined that Simpson did not have an ideal spring in 2024 and was middling within the fall as a redshirt freshman; thus, Milroe took over because the starter for the Crimson Tide.
He is undecided DeBoer will identify a starter immediately as a result of he will not wish to danger any damage emotions with solely three quarterbacks on scholarship proper now.
McElroy additionally admitted that Mack and Russell have increased ceilings than Simpson, however he appears to suppose Simpson’s seniority will work in his favor.
“I feel it’s going to be actually fascinating. I’ll nonetheless be stunned if wasn’t Ty at the start of the 12 months for the Tide,” McElroy stated.
Simpson has thrown simply 50 passes over the previous three seasons for Alabama and hasn’t but thrown a landing for the Tide. If McElroy is to be believed, that will change this fall.
