Nick Saban, throughout his tenure at Alabama, has had veterans under center at quarterback.

John Parker Wilson already had a year of starting experience under his belt when Saban arrived. After that, it was Greg McElroy, a veteran of the program, then AJ McCarron.

When Jacob Coker transferred to Alabama last summer, his inexperience in the program was a hindrance, as was his inability to get up to speed on the playbook. The job went to fifth-year senior Blake Sims, who took off and led the most prolific passing offense in school history.

This spring, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Coker would take the job. He is, after all, heading into his senior year, and he now has a year of experience in Lane Kiffin’s offense to fall back on. He’s also the only Alabama quarterback on the roster to throw a college pass.

Why, then, is David Cornwell, a redshirt freshman who has yet to take a college snap, hanging around in the conversation?

Last month, ESPN’s Chris Low reported that Cornwell may actually be the leader for the starting job over Coker, Cooper Bateman, Alec Morris and true freshman Blake Barnett.

By most accounts, Coker is still the favorite to win the job. But he hasn’t lived up to the hype Jimbo Fisher gave him upon his transfer from FSU, and that has opened the door for a player like Cornwell to move into the job.

If he does take the job, Cornwell would be the least-experienced quarterback since McCarron to start at quarterback for the Crimson Tide. McCarron took over in 2011 as a redshirt sophomore, although he’d spent a year as McElroy’s primary backup and had thrown 48 career passes. Sims had been McCarron’s primary backup for two seasons, as McElroy had done with Wilson.

Can Alabama trust a player with no experience like Cornwell to run the offense for a team that, as it does every year, will have national championship expectations?

Last year, despite Sims’ proficiency, there was a feeling that Alabama didn’t fully open up its playbook in Kiffin’s first year. That was in part due to a reliance on Amari Cooper; Alabama targeted the All-American Biletnikoff winner on more than 35 percent of its passing plays, per ncaasavant.com. That will likely change in 2015.

Cooper, of course, now plays for the Oakland Raiders. Alabama is breaking in a pair of new starters on the outside in Robert Foster and ArDarius Stewart. Chris Black, a former five-star recruit, is ready to play in the slot, while Kenyan Drake returns from injury to provide a versatile pass-catching weapon out of the backfield. Alabama has plenty of options, and without a singular talent like Cooper, it makes the most sense to spread the wealth.

Under Kiffin, Alabama has moved more toward a spread, up-tempo offensive style that keeps the bones of the pro-style offense the Crimson Tide has come to be known for. With Derrick Henry in the backfield, coupled with the loss of Cooper, Alabama will likely lean on the run a bit more in 2015. That would make the task a bit more doable for a redshirt freshman.

Even with those traditional elements, Kiffin is going to have to be a little more creative this year. There’s no obvious player for a quarterback to wheel and throw to at the line of scrimmage like Cooper, meaning more reads and going through progressions downfield. Saban said earlier this spring he’s not opposed to starting a true freshman, referencing Barnett, but that opens the door for another inexperienced player like Cornwell as well.

If Alabama has championship aspirations, breaking in a totally inexperienced quarterback could be a major roadblock. In the first five weeks of the season, Alabama takes on Wisconsin, Ole Miss and Georgia, all teams that should be ranked when facing the Tide. If Alabama’s starter isn’t ready, that could end its playoff hopes early.

Then again, the same thing could be said if Coker isn’t up to par to run the offense.