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Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is headed to the NFL. The veteran signal caller announced his intentions to enter the draft earlier this offseason.
Now, the Crimson Tide have the task of finding his replacement. A recent report about a transfer signal caller has cast doubt on the coaching staff’s confidence in passers on the current roster.
Earlier this week, Matt Hayes of USA Today suggested that Carson Beck turned down interest from both Georgia and Alabama before securing his $4 million bag with the University of Miami.
That news was met with immediate questioning of the Alabama QB room. Behind Jalen Milroe on the depth chart last year sat Ty Simpson and Austin Mack. The program signed five-star freshman Keelon Russell this offseason.
Simpson opted to stay in Tuscaloosa despite Alabama’s recent coaching change. A Nick Saban holdover, he’s waited patiently behind Milroe for three seasons.
Mack, meanwhile, followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington. He’s thrown just three passes in his college career.
Then, there’s Russell, who flipped his commitment from SMU to Alabama late in the process. He’s expected to be the future of the program, but it’s yet to be determined if that impact will be made as a true freshman.
The belief was that Simpson would ultimately win the starting job in 2025. He’s the most experienced passer on the roster, throwing for 381 yards on 50 attempts.
With that being said, many doubted his ability to lead the offense due to his inability to unseat Milroe in 2024.
Milroe struggled at times, throwing 11 interceptions in 13 games. That number nearly doubled his total from the year prior and ranked one pick shy of an SEC-worst.
His up and down play led to a three-loss season. Though many called for his replacement, Simpson was never given the keys.
The suggestion that Alabama targeted Carson Beck in the transfer portal only further fueled the narrative of the football team’s lack of confidence in their backups. They’d rather bring in new talent than stick with what they already have. Have they seen enough to move on from their projected starter?
Conflicting reports surround Alabama football’s interest in Carson Beck.
Andrew Bone of BamaOnLine refuted the insinuation that the Crimson Tide contacted Beck. He insists that the coaching staff has full confidence in its current roster.
Sources have told BOL that UA did not contact or have interest in Carson Beck despite the reports from Matt Hayes… Unfortunately, this story will spread like wildfire and there will be many who believe it, but we are reporting this is not accurate.
-Andrew Bone
He took things a step further, claiming that Beck’s camp was “not happy” about the report.
Alabama football analyst Clint Lamb echoed that sentiment in his breakdown of the rumors. He says a Carson Beck-Crimson Tide marriage doesn’t make sense.
Despite reports, Carson Beck doesn’t make any sense for Alabama, whether it be from the Ty Simpson angle or Keelon Russell. In other words, I’m not buying those reports at all. pic.twitter.com/rYDm6Mp9WV
— Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) January 15, 2025
“From everything I’ve heard, [the coaching staff] doesn’t view Ty Simpson negatively,” he said. “They like the way he’s developed. They like his potential in the offense.”
He also cited Carson Beck’s elbow injury in his reasoning. Lamb says the risk isn’t worth the reward.
Those on the Alabama side believe the Crimson Tide are content with what they’ve got in the QB room. They have no interest in seeking out a transfer addition. Those on the outside have their doubts. After Beck’s decision to join Miami, they’ll have no choice but to move forward with the current roster.