On3 Roundtable: Which Alabama quarterback fits best in Tommy Rees’ offense

Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees might turn out to be the biggest off-season addition Alabama and head coach Nick Saban made ahead of the 2023 season. But that might all depend on picking the right quarterback to run the offense.

While it might seem that Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner — who followed Rees from South Bend — is the natural fit, BamaInsider’s Clint Lamb said it’s not so simple. He explained more to On3’s J.D. PicKell in an On3 Roundtable, noting there’s a case for all three non-freshmen quarterbacks on the roster: Buchner, Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson.

“Tyler Buchner’s a guy, there’s a reason they went out and added him in the transfer portal. Obviously, they weren’t happy with what they got out of the position throughout the spring. Jalen Milroe is the most experienced guy. He’s been working with the first team, probably the most. And then I think Ty Simpson is actually the guy who makes the most sense,” Lamb said. “And that’s who I would probably go with right now.”

Simpson had an underwhelming performance in the Alabama spring game, but Lamb said he was affected by a thumb injury. And ultimately, his ability to string things together and keep drives going might appeal to the coaching staff.

“But I think Ty Simpson, right now, would probably be my favorite. Just because I think he’s got a great command of the offense. I think the thumb injury did affect him during A Day quite a bit. But, he had a couple of drives where he was really able to string together some quality plays. And I know that’s something Tommy Rees looks for out of his quarterbacks. So, as far as being the best representation of a quarterback that can thrive in Tommy Rees’ system, I would probably say Ty Simpson, even though I also think Buchner could survive as well,” Lamb said.

As for Milroe, the time to rise to the occasion and be the Alabama quarterback is going to be now or never. Lamb noted that the question regarding Milroe might’ve shifted from “Will he reach his recruiting potential?” to “Can he reach that potential?”

Simpson seems to have the most upside remaining and has been in and around the Alabama offense for longer than Buchner. Lamb wouldn’t be surprised if Simpson slid into the starting role with Buchner and/or Milroe as an insurance policy, of sorts.

“We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out. But right now I would probably go with Ty Simpson,” Lamb said.