Nick Saban provides update on improvement of QBs during spring practices
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Nick Saban is guiding his Alabama program into its first season without Bryce Young under center. The Crimson Tide are also coming off a season with the unusual feeling of missing out on the College Football Playoff.
One of the key storylines for the program this offseason is the battle for which quarterback will replace Young as the starter in the fall. Saban was asked about the battle between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpon on Wednesday.
In particular, Saban was asked which player has shown the most improvement during the spring. While Saban did not directly address an individual player, he said the coaching staff is not disappointed with anyone’s progress so far:
“I think both buys have made really good progress,” said Saban per Nick Kelly with The Tuscaloosa News. “We’re not disappointed in anybody’s progress. I thought they both played well in the scrimmage.
“Both guys have had their moments in practice and they’ve also had learning opportunities when they’ve made mistakes. And both of them have responded very well and made improvement.”
Saban went on to say one of the big keys for both players to learn is eliminating the bad plays:
“There’s some plays in the game that kill you. So to be able to eliminate those things is as big a part of being able to execute all the good things,” Saban explained. “And that’s what helps you play winning football. You eliminate mistakes and you can execute and take advantage when the opportunity presents itself because you’re going to distribute the ball on every down.”
Here’s the full quote on Saban’s QB update:
Nick Saban was asked about which QB has made the most improvement in the spring so far. His answer: pic.twitter.com/HLt7ONgcdo
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) April 13, 2023
Outlook for Alabama’s QB1
There’s no denying the talent between the two players, but it’s hard to look past the extra year of experience Milroe has over Simpson. Milroe also appeared in 8 games last season with a number of meaningful snaps, including a start against Texas A&M in place of Young.
At the end of the day, Simpson could prove to be the answer for the Tide, but it’s usually hard to make up for the meaningful SEC experience that Milroe has under his belt.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
