Alabama insider ponders how the transfer portal could impact Crimson Tide QB competition

The race to replace Bryce Young at Alabama continues to take new turns. But, as AL.com’s Mike Rodak said, there’s another reason to keep an eye on the competition: the transfer portal.

The spring transfer portal window opens April 15-30 once spring practice wraps up. That timing could have big implications on the Crimson Tide quarterback battle between Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Early on, it sounds like Milroe could have the edge through spring ball, but there’s still time for Simpson to challenge him for QB1 with fall camp coming in August.

That timing could make for a tough decision for someone like Simpson, who sat behind Young last year and could find himself behind Milroe this season if things don’t go his way.

“It seems like Ty Simpson has gotten better, but I don’t know if there’s been that undeniable ‘We need to get him on the field’ sort of talent that was seen with Bryce Young before him,” Rodak said on The Paul Finebaum Show Thursday. “That leaves Alabama in a spot — and it leaves these players in a spot, quite frankly — with the portal opening back up Saturday and then closing on April 30.

“I think the big question people have around here is does one of those guys go to the portal? Is there a point where Ty Simpson says, ‘I’ve been here since December of 2021, I’m not looking like I’m going to be the starter. Can I do that somewhere else?’ Because if they’re not in the portal by April 30, they’re locked in until December. So that forces their hand a little bit, and that’s by design. But that’s really the next big question here that’s going to have to be answered.”

With important quarterback decisions possibly looming again in the future, Rodak said that means Simpson could have an interesting decision to make, depending on how things go. Although Alabama could look to the portal for another quarterback if the staff so chooses, he’s not sure that would happen.

That’s yet another important call that could be coming down the pipeline.

“The portal, obviously, does open the other direction too where I guess in theory — in theory — there are other quarterbacks that could go in,” Rodak said. “I think that possibility of Alabama adding a quarterback is very, very slim. But if Jalen Milroe can improve enough as a passer — which was his big problem last year — he can limit turnovers, which his still something that even last night, Nick Saban was alluding too about his quarterbacks and the negative plays, then can Alabama have a serviceable enough quarterback situation to see how far they go? That could be the spot that they’re left in.

“But this is the tough spot for Ty, too, is there’s still all of August. There’s still 20-plus practices in August where he could win the starting battle. But if he doesn’t, then he’s stuck at Alabama for another year and he has to go through the process whatever happens next year. Having this window now and not having any other opportunity after that if you’re an undergraduate, it does really force the hand of a player who still could have a chance to win a starting job in August.”

How Alabama’s future quarterback recruits could impact Ty Simpson

Simpson arrived in Tuscaloosa last season as a highly touted freshman. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 25 overall prospect from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. But he only appeared in four games last season as the third-string quarterback, and if he decides to stay with the Crimson Tide despite losing the competition with Milroe, he’d be with the program through at least December.

That’s why there could be a big decision looming if Milroe looks to be the starter after A-Day.

“He was a five-star earlier in the recruiting process,” Rodak said of Simpson. “I think [he] dropped back a little bit by the time he came in, but still a very good quarterback prospect. But at the end of the day, he’s been here 17 months. … At some point, it’s going to have to be there or it’s not and the train does keep on moving when you have two freshmen coming in this year and there’s another freshman coming in next year in Julian Sayin, who’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

“It’s Alabama. There’s always going to be a new quarterback coming in. I’m not saying Ty Simpson’s going to go in the portal, but I’m saying that seems to be — for any player in college football, that is an option that’s on the table right now starting Saturday and ending April 30.”