Nick Saban explains how Ty Simpson, other Alabama QBs have made 'significant improvement'

It’s officially game week for Alabama, and it’s still unclear who will start at quarterback for the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban didn’t release a Week 1 depth chart for the first time in his 17 years at the helm, adding to the mystery about the starter for the game against Middle Tennessee.

That said, Saban sounded pleased with how all three of his quarterbacks have performed during camp.

During his weekly press conference on Wednesday, Saban was asked about how Ty Simpson has looked as he battles Jalen Milroe and Tyler Buchner to become Alabama’s starting quarterback. He said all three of the quarterbacks have looked good during camp, and they’re all learning important lessons along the way.

“Ty has done a really good job,” Saban said. “I think all the quarterbacks have made significant improvement, I think Ty has made improvement. I think one of the hardest things to not get involved with is to be outcome-oriented and show your emotions when things don’t go exactly like you’d want them to. That’s one of the things that I think has helped all of our quarterbacks, especially Ty, improve on.

“Mistakes are opportunities to learn, get better, grow and not get disappointed or frustrated in terms of how it affects the next play. And that’s something that he’s done a really good job of, and I think it’s impacted his execution in a really positive way.”

All eyes are on Nick Saban, Alabama quarterback battle as Week 1 arrives

Simpson arrived on campus last year as a freshman, bringing plenty of hype with him from the recruiting trial. A former five-star recruit, he was the No. 25-ranked player from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He appeared in four games in 2022, completing four passes for 35 yards.

Simpson is battling against Milroe and Buchner, who both have plenty of experience at the collegiate level. Milroe was Bryce Young’s primary backup a year ago and saw the field after he suffered an injury. Buchner appeared in 13 games at Notre Dame despite missing most of 2022 with an injury.

It’s an intriguing battle, and it got even more interesting in light of Saban’s decision not to provide a Week 1 depth chart. However, ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said the legendary coach likely had a good reason for not declaring a starter before opening day.

“A lot of people are reading into this assuming that there’s some type of issue …. I didn’t read into it too much, especially knowing who they play Week 2, that being the Texas Longhorns.” McElroy said Tuesday on SportsCenter. “And the fact last year Middle Tennessee, that’s who they have this week. They did give Miami a run and knowing the quarterback position specifically, the offense could be altered significantly by who the starting quarterback is. 

“Jalen Milroe’s skill set is extremely different from that of Ty Simpson, which is very different from that of Tyler Buchner. So you would offer a competitive advantage to the opposing team by announcing a depth chart that is set in stone.”