A look at Alabama's QB competition heading into the first scrimmage

Unlike previous offseasons when Alabama has had to replace a quarterback, this year’s battle behind center comes with a bit less intrigue.

Due to last year’s all-SEC regular season, Bryce Young was the only other quarterback to net playing time during Mac Jones’ record-breaking year. The five-star sophomore is also the only quarterback on Alabama’s roster to have attempted a pass at the college level, giving him what appears to be a substantial edge over redshirt sophomore Paul Tyson and early enrollee Jalen Milroe.

“Bryce is probably a little ahead of everybody else because he got a lot of reps last year,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said last week. “Even though he didn’t get to play that much, he got a lot of reps in practice, a lot of good carryover for him. I think he’s very confident and he’s done a really good job of preparing so far.

“The other two guys, they’re working and making improvement. So we’re just really focused on improvement, not really the outcome.”

During Tuesday’s press conference, Saban provided another update on the unit, stating that all three quarterbacks are progressing nicely this spring. Once again, the head coach’s assessment led with Young before addressing the other two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

“Bryce has made a lot of improvement,” Saban said “I think he’s a lot more confident. I think I’ve talked about this before, that we wanted to play Bryce a lot more than he got to play last year. I think the situation, the circumstances, playing 10 SEC games and being in the SEC Championship Game and the playoffs, probably didn’t get as much chance to do that as we’ve done in the past with developing quarterbacks. But I think just having all the reps that he had last year, he’s much more confident. I think he’s doing very well.

“Paul has made a tremendous amount of improvement. I think Jalen has a lot of upside. Right now, we’ve got to work on his fundamentals and his technique. But he’s really got a lot of ability, and we’re going to continue to try to work with him to develop and see if he can have a role on the team.”

While game reps are at a minimum in the unit, Saban should get a better look at how his quarterbacks hold up under pressure this week as Alabama will hold its first scrimmage on Friday.

Tuesday, Saban spoke to the importance of the scrimmage, stating that it’s always interesting to see how younger players perform without the on-field guidance of the coaching staff. Those observations will be especially vital at the quarterback position where comprehension, decision making and self-confidence are essential to success.

If Young is the current leader of Alabama’s unit, he’ll need to show that Friday. Over a small sample size last season, the highly-praised prospect offered mixed results. There were moments — like his scrambling touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith — where Young backed up his five-star status. There were also times — specifically during his five fumbles — where the Tide was left gritting its teeth.

“I thought, at times, he was feeling his way out there, not playing with the kind of confidence that we would like for him to play with,” Saban said at the beginning of camp. “But it’s part of his development and he learned from it. He’s been much better in practice.”

If Young can continue to display that confidence throughout camp, this offseason’s quarterback transition should be a quick one. However, a few hiccups this spring and he could have two capable passers nipping at his heels.

Friday figures to provide more clarity surrounding the position. Then again, depending on how it goes, it could bring a bit more drama as well.