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Saban breaks down Jalen Milroe's week, who is getting second-team reps

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby:Charlie Potter•09/20/23•

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Alabama QB Ty Simpson
Ty Simpson (Courtesy of Alabama Athletics)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama head coach Nick Saban revealed on Monday that Jalen Milroe will be the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback for its Week 4 matchup against Ole Miss.

Milroe did not play Saturday against South Florida. After the 17-3 road win, when asked why he started Tyler Buchner and then went to Ty Simpson rather than Milroe, Saban said, “Everybody has the opportunity to respond in the right way when things don’t go exactly like you want them to, and we played the guys that practiced the best all week long.”

On Wednesday, Saban was asked how Milroe’s week of practice has gone up to this point.

“He’s doing good,” Saban said after Alabama’s third practice of Ole Miss game week. “I think his energy has been good. I think his attitude has been great. And I think the execution on the field has been good. So it’s been good.”

Milroe started the first two games of the Crimson Tide’s 2023 season. He was named the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after Alabama’s season-opening win over Middle Tennessee but didn’t have his best outing in the loss to Texas, throwing two interceptions.

That led Alabama to go back to the drawing board, and it started Buchner on the road at USF. However, the Notre Dame transfer struggled against the Bulls, throwing for 34 yards on 5-of-14 passing before being replaced by Simpson in the second quarter. Simpson threw for 73 yards on 5-of-9 passing before rushing for the game’s final touchdown (1 yard).

After not playing against USF, Milroe is back in the starting role to begin SEC play. But should anything happen to the redshirt sophomore, Saban revealed who is his primary backup.

“Right now, Ty Simpson has been getting most of the work with the twos,” Saban said. “I thought he did a good job when he went in the game, so he’s kind of earned the right to be in that position. I’m sure that he’ll continue to compete and try to get better, and that’ll be good for us in the long term. 

“We wanna develop every player that we have at that position and continue to work with all those guys so that they all get reps and have a chance to improve.”

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