ESPN shares where Alabama quarterback battle stands after spring

After a spring game that left something to be desired, the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback competition is marching on into the summertime.

With the addition of Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, there are five scholarship quarterbacks on Alabama’s roster. That includes Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Now, ESPN has broken down where the Crimson Tide’s quarterback battle currently stands.

“It’s difficult to believe Buchner would come to Alabama to be a backup,” ESPN’s Chris Low reported. “He has three years of eligibility remaining and began last season as the Notre Dame starter before injuring his shoulder in Week 2 and having surgery. He returned for the bowl game and accounted for five touchdowns in a Notre Dame win.”

Coming out of high school, Buchner was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2021. He was offered by Alabama but ultimately chose to go to Notre Dame. Now, he’s following his offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to Alabama.

As Low pointed out, the fact that neither Milroe nor Simpson entered the transfer portal is interesting and it says a lot about their confidence level.

“Alabama offered Buchner when he was in high school, but he opted for Notre Dame. It says a lot about both Milroe and Simpson and their belief in themselves that they didn’t transfer after Buchner came aboard. Milroe and Simpson, who have combined for 65 college passing attempts, are determined to stay and fight for the starting job,” Low wrote.

“Alabama also has two more scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, freshmen Dylan Lonergan and Eli Holstein.”

Whoever the starting quarterback in 2023 is for Alabama, as Low explained, it’s going to be whoever Nick Saban decides is the best man for the job.

“We know this about Nick Saban: He’s going to play the best guy and the guy who wins over the locker room. Buchner’s stats at Notre Dame weren’t eye-popping, but clearly Rees thinks he’s an upgrade over what the Alabama coaches saw this spring. We’re going to find out.”

Joel Klatt on what Tyler Buchner’s transfer means for Alabama

Tyler Buchner was obviously a big addition for Alabama out of the transfer portal. However, it also said a lot about how the Crimson Tide coaches are thinking about the team’s quarterback situation, as Joel Klatt explained.

“What does this tell us? Well, the first thing that this transfer communicates is that nobody took control of that job in the spring. So when you’re looking at Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe, who are competing in the spring for Alabama, there were clearly some concerns within the program about the direction or the play of those quarterbacks during spring. They would not have taken this transfer if they felt really good. Again, maybe if they just felt okay or decent or good. Would they take a transfer? Yeah, maybe. Now if they felt really good, would they take a transfer? Probably not. And the reason is, is because that transfer probably wouldn’t come. You see, because this is a two way street,” Klatt said.

“Tyler Buchner is not just sitting there with his bag knocking like on the porch like ‘Please let me in.’ He’s wanting to go to a place where there’s opportunity. He also has an inside agent, if you will, and his former offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, it’s not just familiarity. It’s also a trust factor. You really think Tommy Rees and Tyler Buchner are not going to talk about his opportunity to potentially be the starting quarterback? Well, of course (they are).”