Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer delivered a strong message to his quarterbacks ahead of the 2025 season, which will see the team move forward without Jalen Milroe.
The Crimson Tide are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2024 season under DeBoer. As they prepare for the upcoming year, DeBoer made it clear that he is focused on finding a suitable replacement for Milroe, who declared for the NFL Draft. This decision leaves a significant gap at the quarterback position, with redshirt junior Ty Simpson, redshirt freshman Austin Mack, and freshman Keelon Russell as the likely candidates.
DeBoer acknowledged the challenges of his first year, which saw Alabama struggle in ways they hadn’t under Nick Saban. The team’s transition from the Pac-12 to the SEC had a negative impact on both DeBoer’s game plan and the team’s performance.
As the 2025 season approaches, DeBoer’s challenges remain, particularly after Milroe’s departure. In response to the looming quarterback competition, DeBoer addressed his quarterbacks directly.
“I’m excited about what they all bring to the table. Can’t wait to get back on campus here in February and work with them,” DeBoer shared during an interview at the Senior Bowl, according to On3. “The skillset’s there, there’s very strong strengths that we have and excited about them being similar in a lot of ways. Of course, everyone’s different. They’ve got the things that they bring to the table. But they all three just work together, and that’s really led to workouts already that they’re running that sound like they’ve been very efficient and got a lot of work done.”
DeBoer also praised Simpson for his commitment to Alabama, especially considering his limited playing time behind Milroe. Now that Milroe is leaving for the NFL, Simpson is poised to step into a significant role.
“You certainly appreciate what he’s done. Just continued to work on what he can control, and that’s himself,” DeBoer remarked about Simpson. “Continued to build relationships to get ready for this chance that he has right in front of him. To not just step up as a leader because I think he’s been doing that, but to have that opportunity to step in and be the quarterback.”
Though the 2024 season did not go as planned, with tough losses and a failure to reach the 10-win goal set by Saban, DeBoer remains hopeful for the future. He believes he can help Alabama return to elite status in college football.
“We know that we need to be better. That’s the expectation I had from Day 1, is that we perform at a championship level, and we certainly fell short of that,” DeBoer admitted. “Really excited about the momentum we have with so many players choosing to continue their career here and build the stock that they have to get to the level that we’re talking about, going to the NFL.”
