When it comes to projecting Alabama’s success this fall, it’s anyone’s guess. There’s still plenty to figure out before the Crimson Tide opens its season against Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 2 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. To help pass the time until then, TideIllustrated’s Tony Tsoukalas and James Benedetto will delve into 23 questions concerning the 2023 season.

Today, we look at Alabama's biggest offseason question — who will win the quarterback battle?

Jalen Milroe: The junior made a brief cameo on the big stage last season, filling in for Bryce Young after the starter injured his shoulder against Arkansas. Milroe helped Alabama hang on against the Razorbacks before beating Texas A&M in his first career start the following week. Over eight appearances, he completed 58.5% of his passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions while adding 265 yards and another score on the ground.

Milroe has game-changing speed, and his ability to move the ball on the ground is undeniable. However, he’ll need to improve his consistency as a passer if he’s going to land the starting role.

Ty Simpson: While Simpson might have the highest ceiling among Alabama’s three contenders, he also has the least experience. The redshirt freshman made four appearances in mop-up duty during his debut season last year, completing 4 of 5 passes for 35 yards. He displayed his potential behind the scenes this spring but struggled at times during the A-Day game while dealing with a UCL sprain in his hand.

Simpson will be back to full health this fall. The key for him then will be to continue to build on his offseason momentum without trying to do too much with the ball. It’s tempting for young quarterbacks to want to take chances, especially when battling for the starting job. However, the ability to avoid turnovers will be a key factor in who Nick Saban trusts behind center.

Tyler Buchner: The Notre Dame transfer was a late addition to the quarterback competition as Alabama brought him in following up-and-down performances from Milroe and Simpson during spring camp. Buchner will have to build chemistry with his new teammates on the fly, but he’s plenty familiar with first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees after playing in his offense the past two seasons.

Buchner began last season as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback before suffering a shoulder injury during the Week 2 loss to Marshall. He returned in time to lead the Irish in the Gator Bowl, accounting for five touchdowns and 334 total yards in a 45-38 victory over South Carolina. In total, he completed 55.4% of his passes for 651 yards and three touchdowns with five interceptions while adding 123 yards and four more scores on the ground over three starts.

Buchner offers dangerous dual-threat capabilities but will have to do a better job of taking care of the ball at Alabama. Over 13 career appearances, he has thrown eight interceptions compared to just six touchdowns.

I’ll be honest, your guess is as good as mine at the moment. Alabama’s quarterback race appears to be dead even entering the summer. All three passers are capable of leading the Crimson Tide’s offense, but each of them offers a key concern heading into the fall.

Can Milroe hit the deep ball consistently enough to highlight Alabama's playmakers? Will Simpson keep his poise if called on to perform on the biggest stage? Does Buchner have enough time to learn his new teammates and lock down the job? We’ll have a better feel for those questions following preseason camp, but for now, I’ve got to go with what I know.

Despite his inconsistencies as a passer, Milroe has been Alabama’s preferred option over the past year. The Crimson Tide never looked as though it was going to turn to Simpson when Young went down last season. While Milroe and Simpson were reportedly neck and neck during the spring, the junior spent the majority of camp working with the first-team offense.

Simpson likely has a higher ceiling as a passer. However, if Milroe can develop some sort of consistency through the air to go with his elite speed, he should be Alabama’s most dangerous option at the position. That’s a big if at the moment, but given all the question marks in the unit, I’m going to give the junior the benefit of the doubt.

In two seasons with Bryce Young as the starter, Saban emphasized the need for balance in the offense. Young was able to do so many things at the line of scrimmage, with his feet and with his arm. That allowed the Crimson Tide to surround to Heisman Trophy winner with good players knowing, he will make them better.

Regardless of who wins the job, Alabama won’t have a signal-caller who will be able to do everything that Young offered during his career. That’s why it’s even more imperative for the Crimson Tide to start the quarterback who is the most polished. Simpson is the closest to being that all-around quarterback it’s looking for. The former Gatorade Player of the Year threw for more than 2,800 yards, more than 860 rushing yards and 52 total touchdowns for Westview High School. Simpson’s sample size was a bit too small to show his dual-threat abilities last season, but he did go 4-for-5 for 35 passing yards in four games before redshirting.

A-Day was a better look at what Simpson can do in Alabama’s offense. While leading the Crimson team to a 30-21 victory, the Martin Tennessee native went 12 of 26 for 155 passing yards and led the team in rushing, tallying 58 yards on six attempts.

Milroe is the better athlete, there’s no question, but Simpson is the better game manager. While he did throw an interception in the scrimmage, Simpson was battling a UCL sprain in his thumb, which affected his accuracy.

With an offseason working on his mechanics and putting on some more muscle, Simpson will be ready to step into the role of Alabama’s starting quarterback.