Nick Saban happy with Alabama's two additions at quarterback
Nick Saban generally likes to add a quarterback in every recruiting class. Although with Alabama set to lose its best passer in program history this offseason, the Crimson Tide decided to double-dip at the position in the current cycle.
Alabama signed two quarterbacks Wednesday, adding four-star talents Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan to a unit that’s set to lose Bryce Young to the NFL.
Holstein ranks as the No. 10 pro-style quarterback and No. 110 overall player in the nation. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound Zachary, La., native is coming off a senior season in which he completed 65.2% of his passes for 2,153 yards and 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions while adding 505 yards and nine more scores on the ground. Over three years as a starter at the varsity level, he has thrown for a combined 5,720 yards and 54 touchdowns with 11 interceptions while piling up 1,037 rushing yards and 23 scores with his legs.
Lonergan, the No. 12 pro-style quarterback and No. 235 overall player in the nation, is planning to play both football and baseball at Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound Snellville, Ga., native finished his high school career with 9,717 total yards and 100 total touchdowns (75 passing, 25 rushing). He can also reach 87-90 miles per hour from the pitching mound with a high-level breaking ball.
“We're obviously happy with both guys,” Saban said Wednesday. “They've both been in successful programs. We know a lot about them. They're great people. I think they have really good potential.”
Alabama has had mixed results signing multiple passers in the same class. The Crimson Tide famously added a pair of future first-round picks in Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones in the 2017 class. Both passers went on to set program records before leaving for the NFL. Alabama had far less success in 2019 when it signed Taulia Tagovailoa and Paul Tyson. Taulia transferred to Maryland in 2020 while Tyson moved on to Arizona State last offseason before transferring to Clemson this week.
With Young set to leave, Holstein and Lonergan will make up half of a four-man quarterback room at Alabama as they will join returning passers Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Alabama made it through this past season with three scholarship quarterbacks and already has a commitment from five-star recruit Julian Sayin in the 2024 class. However, with transfers becoming the norm in today’s college football landscape, it’s better to be overstocked at the position than left empty-handed.
“I think with this day and age you really want to make sure when you know basically guys to leave your team whenever they want that you have enough guys at each position and that they want to be the kind of guys that want to develop at that position,” Saban said. “So I think both of these guys are very much committed to that. So I mean, other than that, they're the kind of guys that we want, and I think they fit the profile of what we need at the position.”
Holstein is already at Alabama helping the Crimson Tide prepare for its Sugar Bowl matchup against Kansas State on Dec. 31. He'll also be on hand to participate in spring camp where he'll compete with Milroe and Simpson for the starting spot.
Lonergan will join the team this summer following his senior season of baseball at Brookwood High School. The right-handed pitcher is also a top prospect on the diamond and might have a tough decision to make following next year's MLB draft in July.