Mailbag: Does Alabama have the worst QB situation in the SEC, should Tennessee bench Joe Milton for Nico Iamaleava?

We kickoff this Wednesday’s mailbag with a question I never thought I’d see asked: Does Alabama have the worst quarterback situation in the SEC?

I talked the Tide and Vols’ QB situations, plus can Deion Sanders pull off another 20-point upset? All that and more. You can submit a question via my internet mailbox at [email protected] or send a DM/Tweet reply @JesseReSimonton.

This week’s questions…

Does Alabama have the worst quarterback situation in the SEC? How did they get to this point? Like what happened? — Jason

It really is remarkable. The Tide has the most talented roster in the country, per recruiting rankings. Their average player ranking is close to a Top 100 prospect. And yet they could’ve lost to a bad USF team (reminder: The Bulls were 1-11 last season and have a first-year head coach) because their QB play was so porous. 

Alabama has other real issues too (OL development has been lacking, there’s no game-changer at WR), but the fact that it has five — I repeat: FIVE — 4- or 5-star quarterbacks on the roster and none are capable or ready to play is wild. 

Nick Saban’s opinions are Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner, Dylan Lonergan and Eli Holstein. It’s too soon to make judgments on the latter two, who are both freshmen.

But would Saban trade Alabama’s other three QBs for every other starting quarterback in the SEC outside of Auburn’s Payton Thorne? Probably. Would he take Graham Mertz over his current options? Maybe. Hell, Mertz is completing 75% of his passes and not turning the ball over so far this season. That’s basically what Saban wants for the Tide’s 2023 offense.

However you look at it, it’s grim. This is a program that went on a run of Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Bryce Young, and now Saban has played three quarterbacks in three games and is turning back to Milroe at QB1. 

New OC Tommy Rees looks correct in his judgment that Alabama needed more from the position post-spring, but it was too late. How would the Tide look if they had Sam Hartman? What if Devin Leary went to Alabama instead of Kentucky?

Alabama reportedly flirted with Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke and there were rumors about the school’s interest in another top-flight ACC quarterback. Both would’ve been game-changers. 

The Tide could bring in the best transfer QB next cycle and go right back to housing opponents again. Perhaps 2024 5-star Julian Sayin is the answer. For now, with no Superman at QB, the Tide have the same kryptonite as every other team, which is why they look so average in 2023.

Rank the Top 10 teams purely on RESUME ONLY through three weeks — Chance

This is a similar exercise my colleague Andy Staples does each week, and I was asked to do that same by one of my loyal readers.

For those asking what a resume ranking is, some people (including some AP voters) rank teams based solely on their eyes. What has a team shown us to date?

Others are data drive, using analytics and power ratings to produce their Top 25s. Some vote via an amalgamation of the two, which comes with its own complications.  

Georgia and Michigan remain 1-2 on most rankings lists despite cupcake schedules thus far because of the latter. But if we’re going strictly RESUME ONLY, my Top 10 has little resemblance to the actual AP Top 25 rankings. Zero SEC teams. Zero Big Ten teams. Who’da thunk it?

1. Washington
2. Florida State
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame
5. Utah
6. Duke
7. Colorado
8. Miami
9. Oklahoma 
10. USC

In my “others receiving votes” I’d have North Carolina, Penn State and Oregon next up.

Does Heupel not believe in Joe Milton? With the excessive amounts of WR screens (to the) lack of passes 8+ yards across the middle and passes of 20 yards or more, I think it’s clear UT has no faith in Joe. If they have no faith, should they not explore Nico? — Blake 

Joe Milton is a lightning rod player — because of both who he’s following in Hendon Hooker and who’s behind him in 5-star freshman Nico Iamaleavea. 

Truly, Milton was fine against Florida (20 of 34 for 287 yards and two touchdowns). His “Let’s play 500” interception was awful, but Bazooka Joe wasn’t the reason the Vols lost on Saturday. 

Down two starters, Tennessee’s offensive line was a major problem. The Vols couldn’t run the ball (just 3.3 yards per attempt), which is truly the gas that fuels Heupel’s go-go attack. The OL also committed seven penalties and struggled to protect Milton (12 pressures allowed). Tennessee’s receivers aren’t creating the same separation downfield as last season, either. 

Milton’s accuracy is what it is at this point. He needs to find a way to produce more explosive plays though (Vols rank 93rd in explosiveness after finishing 14th last season). Another problem is Hooker was fantastic at escaping the pocket and making precision passes off-schedule — neither of which are Milton’s strengths. 

Should the Vols give Iamaleava a look? Plenty of fans hope so, but it seems like Tennessee’s staff doesn’t believe he’s ready — physically or mentally. He’s an all-world talent, but if — to your question — they don’t have faith in Milton, someone who has been in the offense for three seasons now, it’s hard to see them turn to a freshman with so many other outstanding issues around the QB.

Is the Big 12 Texas or bust? Will any teams challenge the Longhorns this year? — Dalton 

The Longhorns should be the odds-on favorites to win the Big 12 in their final year in the conference, and while their performance against Wyoming was lacking, they still have far and away the most talent in the league. 

Kansas State has warts. With Chandler Morris at QB, TCU isn’t anywhere close to 2022 TCU. Texas Tech has underwhelmed. UCF’s starting QB is hurt. 

But if there is one team who could challenge Texas it’s Oklahoma. With each passing week, I’m keeping my eye on the Sooners. Red River is shaping up to be a barn burner in early October.  

Dillion Gabriel is averaging 11.2 yards per attempt, has 11 touchdowns to one interception and is completing 83% of his passes, and yet some still believe 5-star freshman Jackson Arnold will take over at QB at some point this season — that’s how loaded that room is for OU. 

The wideout room is a nice mix of veterans and freshman Nic Anderson, while Brent Venables’ defense has played with its hair on fire (26 tackles for loss, second-most in the Big 12) and has shown real improvements fundamentally. They’re still lacking depth and some NFL talent, but they play really hard. 

With the way the rest of the Big 12 looks this fall — totally mid — I wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas and OU square twice. 

Can Deion Sanders and Colorado keep the magic going this weekend at Oregon? Will they beat the Ducks? — Matt

Can they? Maybe. Will they? I don’t ‘believe.’ Colorado is a 20-point underdog in Eugene on Saturday, and while Coach Prime has already ripped off one outright win under similar circumstances this season, I don’t see lightning striking twice here. 

The Buffs have been the story of college football in 2023. More than 9 million people stayed up to watch Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders in a game that kicked off after 10 p.m., EST. That’s insane!

But Colorado remains a flawed team with little depth. The Buffs won’t have two-way star Travis Hunter against Oregon, and that’s especially concerning at corner where they were already thin and 4-star freshman Cormani McClain isn’t ready to play apparently. Shedeur Sanders has been unconscious this season, but here’s hoping he doesn’t actually get knocked out. 

How many more hits can he withstand? He’s been sacked 16 times — most among all Power 5 QBs, and second-most nationally. Oregon doesn’t have a ferocious pass rush, but it’s good enough to test Colorado’s iffy OL. I also expect Bo Nix to pepper CU’s secondary with crossing routes and mesh concepts, which was a major problem against Colorado State.