Greg McElroy predicts Ty Simpson will take most snaps as Alabama starting QB

Jalen Milroe. Ty Simpson. Tyler Buchner. The debate on which of the three quarterbacks will lead Alabama into a new era is raging on at SEC Media Days.

Greg McElroy knows a thing or two about captaining the ship for the Crimson Tide, and he’s going against the grain for his prediction. While Milroe or Buchner may be the popular picks with their experience, McElroy predicted Simpson will get the lion-share of there work in 2023.

“I think they’ll roll it the first game, that’s what I anticipate. We saw it back in 2011, when Phillip Sims and AJ McCarron rolled. Ultimately, AJ got the start against Penn State, and the rest is history. We also saw it against ‘SC in 2016, when [Blake] Barnett got the initial start, before giving way to Jalen Hurts, the rest is history. I don’t think it’s going to be more than a game before it’s decided, and ultimately I think it’s going to come down to the guy that makes the best decisions,” explained the former Alabama quarterback. “Jalen Milroe’s the most dynamic, he has the most athleticism and I think he has the highest ceiling. Here’s the problem, there were 16 turnovers last year by the Alabama offense, he accounted for five of them. And he only started one game. So that is problematic. He has to be smarter with the football.

“That’s why I think ultimately it’s going to come down to a two-horse race between Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner. You go out and get Buchner, because I think Buchner can give you something in the run-game, and he also has some experience with Tommy Rees. But I think Ty Simpson’s the guy.”

While McElroy is going out on a limb and picking Simpson over the other two talented quarterbacks, he recognizes that how the young signal-caller performs over the course of summer and fall camp will be the tipping point.

“Down the stretch, if I were to bet on one of the three horses, I think Ty Simpson’s probably going to be the guy throughout the course of the season,” McElroy said. “But it all depends on how you perform in fall camp, and the type of decision making and whether or not you can win the team.

“That’s what Coach Saban will say throughout the course of summer and fall camp. Who wins the team, the guy that does will be the Alabama starting quarterback.”

Of course, Simpson came to Alabama with designs on becoming their starting quarterback, but perhaps many believed it would take a little more time. Not McElroy, he’s ready to anoint him as Alabama’s next leader.

Time will tell if Greg McElroy is right, but Ty Simpson has his support heading into a pivotal 2023 season for Nick Saban and the Crimson Time.