Could Alabama Play Multiple QBs Again?

In last Saturday's victory over the ULM Warhawks, the Crimson Tide played all three scholarship quarterbacks. Ty Simpson was a perfect 17-17 for 226 yards and four total touchdowns, Austin Mack was 8-10 for 80 yards and two touchdowns, and Keelon Russell was 4-6 for 65 yards and two touchdowns. All three quarterbacks looked sharp as Alabama rolled to a 73-0 victory over ULM.

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Kalen DeBoer said during his Monday morning press conference that the Crimson Tide planned to play all three quarterbacks, citing that competition brings out the best in everyone.

“It’s something I've done a number of times over the years, going way back, but that's one of the more recent ones," DeBoer said. "Jake [Haener] bowed up, he bowed up, and I thought Ty responded pretty well, too. It's one of those that they kind of question, probably, at first — why? But I think competition is just going to bring out the best in everyone, and I think that did that for Ty in his week of preparation. Obviously, it helps Austin. It gives him some energy to really go out there, and we're looking at him, got some quality snaps in the game.

“And across the board, we did that. We do that at other positions and don't really think twice about it. We got a rotation, rotating in at defensive positions. We do that at the offensive line, receiver personnel groupings. We're doing a lot of that. So, again, competition, helping bring out the best, and that's what Jake did, and I think that's what Ty did here this last week.”

Austin Mack appeared in the game for Alabama after the Crimson Tide had a 28-0 lead over the Warhawks, not typically when you see a starter call it a day, even against an inferior opponent. Mack ended his first drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to freshman tight end Kaleb Edwards.

Alabama likely got the benefit of being superior talent-wise over ULM to be able to play three quarterbacks. Could the Crimson Tide do it again if it finds itself in a similar situation?

"We just felt that - after week one, just how the game went - we preach competition across the board at all positions," DeBoer said during Wednesday's SEC coaches' call. "It was a decision earlier in the week because we had the conversation with the quarterbacks on that Monday. But it certainly raised their level, and it was something that was seen in how they executed with the completion percentage for one thing, but I thought they were really sharp, really crisp in everything they did, from the body language to the play calling, to just execution and making the throws that they needed to make to help us be successful.

"We were intentional on wanting to get Austin [Mack] in, and Ty [Simpson] was on a pretty nice thing, so we might have spoiled that in some ways, but that was what's really great to see is Ty not flinched, Ty support Austin, Austin go out there and have some success, and Ty get back right in it and kinda take off from where he had just ended. I was really pleased with Ty's response from the beginning of the week all the way through the end. Just really bowed up and took it as a competition, and understanding that that's one of the staples in our program, and he rose to the challenge."

The Crimson Tide coaching staff is fully behind Ty Simpson as the starting quarterback, but anytime they can tap into a player's competitive mindset, they're going to do it.

Alabama will face Wisconsin this Saturday, September 13, at 11:00 a.m. in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.