Nick Saban details the challenges of having five quarterbacks on roster

Nick Saban has five different quarterbacks on the Alabama roster and no decision on a starter for the 2023 season yet.

So that’s certainly a challenge, but it’s not one the legendary coach isn’t prepared for this summer and fall. Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner are the top three, in no particular order. Buchner just transferred in from Notre Dame to reunite with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Regardless of who comes out on top, Saban is ready for everyone to give it their best effort.

“You know, I think we’ll have to get well organized in terms of how we distribute reps,” Saban said. “It’s good to have competition on your team and hopefully the competition will make everybody better.”

The summer months can make the biggest difference because it’s the final prep for fall practice. That’ll help Saban make a decision on a quarterback.

“I think everything’s important,” Saban said. “You know, we’ve done zooms with our team. All the coaches are on the road. You know, some of the other folks in the organization have tried to do zooms with guys so that we can review what we did in the spring, but the new guys can actually start to try to make some progress too. 

“Always trying to figure out how can we teach better? How can guys learn better? And every individual may learn differently. But those are all things that are important in the spring, now, and this summer will be especially important to all the new guys and the young players on our team.”

Milroe got some playing time last year and was largely expected to win the job for 2023. With Bryce Young off with the Carolina Panthers, Alabama needs a new quarterback to step up.

But neither Milroe or Simpson grabbed the job by the throat and won it outright in the spring. In comes Buchner to shake things up.

In his career, Buchner tossed for 949 yards on 67-118 passing (56.8%), six touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also added 459 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

As a member of the Class of 2021, Buchner was a four-star recruit out of La Jolla (Calif.) Helix, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 8 overall prospect in the state, the No. 14 quarterback in the class and the No. 94 overall prospect in the class.