Nick Saban finally breaks silence on the QB battle at Alabama ahead of the 2023 season: "Somebody's got to take the bull by the horns"
Nick Saban and Alabama's football program have had one question plaguing them throughout the CFB offseason. Who is the next starting QB for Bama? As the team exited practice on Thursday, Saban finally broke his silence on the big question looming over the Crimson Tide fanbase.
He spoke to reporters after practice and immediately opened up the press conference by addressing the QB battle budding within Alabama between Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, and Tyler Buchner. Here's what Nick Saban said at the conference:
“Every day I’m going to tell you the same thing: everybody’s getting reps at the position. Somebody’s got to take the bull by the horns. Somebody’s got to separate themselves. When that happens, we’ll tell you."
Nick Saban has fostered some great QBs during his tenure with the Crimson Tide, including NFL stars like Mac Jones, Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, and most recently, Bryce Young. Having won six titles, Saban knows how to find a talented QB.
Entering training camp, Alabama has had a lot of heated concerns over the final starting QB for the team. Milroe and Simpson were the obvious favorites to fight for the position, as they fought for the starting position during spring. But Saban and his staff decided to bring in Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner to the mix to spice up the feisty QB battle even more.
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Saban and the Crimson Tide kick off their season in less than a month, but there are still no assurances about who will grab the QB position. Milroe and Simpson are returning QBs from last year, so they have experience under Saban's offense while serving as backups to Bryce Young.
Buchner, on the other hand, may not have experience within the Crimson Tide yet, but he has some serious backing behind him. Buchner was highly coveted with the Fighting Irish but could not secure playing time owing to injuries. But his potential has been closely monitored by a freshman on Saban's coaching staff.
Alabama's new offensive coordinator, Tommy Reese, coached Buchner for a couple of years and was a prominent cause behind the Crimson Tide bringing in Buchner to their highly competitive QB battle. Nick Saban talked about Rees' influence and input on bringing in Tyler Buchner:
“Tommy knew the guy better than anybody could know him. I mean, he coached him for a couple years. The guy was injured last year, so he didn’t get as much experience. I think he started two games and played fairly well, so we got the opportunity to see that... I think you always know a player when you coach them. You know what his strengths. You know what he needs to improve on."
For now, Milroe remains the most experienced QB on the roster, although Simpson has been the betting favorite to take over the starting spot, given his five-star pedigree. Buchner will have a tough time cracking Nick Saban and Alabama's starting position, but he is definitely one to keep an eye on as training camp progresses.