Ad Disclosure
Kalen DeBoer comments on Alabama QB battle: ‘I don’t want just a game manager’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Kalen DeBoer and Alabama will be handing the reins to a new quarterback in 2025 after the departure of Jalen Milroe.
Who that is, though, remains to be seen. Ty Simpson is the veteran, entering his fourth season and hoping to be named the starter after backing up Milroe for 2 seasons. Austin Mack, a former 4-star recruit in the class of 2023 and one of DeBoer’s signees at Washington, transferred to the Tide after his head coach took the top job in Tuscaloosa. Then there’s celebrated freshman Keelon Russell, the country’s No. 2 recruit in the class of 2025.
It’s a big decision for Kalen DeBoer, who discussed the upcoming decision on “The Game with Ryan Fowler” on Tide 100.9 on Thursday.
“We want that playmaker. I don’t want just a game manager. If we’re going to win at the level we want to win, we want a guy that’s going to produce, make the big plays,” he said on Thursday.
DeBoer also said he’s not expecting to make a final decision until fall camp.
Alabama finished 9-4 in DeBoer’s first season in 2024, well below the standard of fans used to consistent success under Nick Saban. Part of that was due to the play of Milroe, who finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2023 but digressed in 2024, failing to take the next step in his development.
Needless to say, whoever is QB1 for Alabama in 2025 will face massive pressure.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
