2022 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Quarterbacks

Alabama returns the reigning Heisman Trophy winner along with a pair of rising talents behind center.

Nick Saban isn’t a fan of comparisons. Even if he were, he’d have a hard time finding one for his returning quarterback.

Assuming things go to plan this year, Bryce Young will leave Alabama as the most prolific offensive player in program history. The junior is already well on his way to achieving that feat, becoming the first Crimson Tide quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy while setting school records with 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns through the air last season.

Despite playing in just one season as a starter, Young already sits within striking range of most of Alabama’s all-time passing records. Following what will likely be his final year with the Crimson Tide, he figures to be in the mix to become the program’s first No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in 75 years.

It’s hard to compare Young to anyone. It’s also hard to find anyone who will be as important to Alabama’s success this year.

If the Crimson Tide is going to avenge last season’s national championship loss to Georgia, Young’s going to be the one leading the charge. Fortunately for Alabama, the junior appears to be taking all the right steps toward doing that this season.

During last week’s SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Saban spoke about Young’s progression this offseason, praising him for his continued devotion toward improvement despite last season’s accolades.

“Success is momentary,” Saban said. “So if you're going to continue to have success, you have to stay focused on the things you need to do to improve, to prepare, to lead, to impact and affect other people around you. Bryce has shown every indication that he's got a willingness to do all those things. He's a perfectionist in terms of what he wants to do and what he wants to accomplish.”

"So far I've been pleased with the way he's been able to maintain the mindset that you need to do to continue to improve and make progress as a player.”

Young is the fourth Heisman Trophy winner to return to school in the past 10 years. The results from the other three defending winners have been varied.

Johnny Manziel followed up his 2012 Heisman season with an arguably better 2013 campaign, topping his completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns from the year before. Jamies Winston had less success following up his 2013 Heisman run, as he racked up a whopping 18 interceptions the following year. Most recently, Lamar Jackson followed up his 2016 Heisman-winning season with similar numbers in 2017. 

Here's a look at how all three quarterbacks measured the year following their Heisman success.  

Lamar Jackson

2016: 56.2% completion; 3,543 passing yards; 30 passing TDs; 9 INTs; 1,571 rushing yards; 21 rushing TDs

2017: 59.1% completion; 3,660 passing yards; 27 passing TDs; 10 INTs; 1,601 rushing yards; 18 rushing TDs

Jameis Winston

2013: 66.9% completion; 4,057 passing yards; 40 passing TDs; 10 INTs; 219 rushing yards; 4 rushing TDs

2014: 65.3% completion; 3,907 passing yards; 25 passing TDs; 18 INTs; 65 rushing yards; 3 rushing TDs

Johnny Manziel

2012: 68.0% completion; 3,706 passing yards; 26 passing TDs; 9 INTs; 1,410 rushing yards; 21 rushing TDs

2013: 69.9% completion; 4,114 passing yards; 37 passing TDs; 13 INTs; 75 rushing yards; 9 rushing TDs

Young says he’s not taking anything for granted following his breakout season.

"Winning the Heisman is obviously a huge honor, means a lot, but I also understand that that doesn’t entitle me to anything," Young said during SEC Media Days. "Really it’s an award that celebrates one season that I had in the past. Which is again an honor, but doesn’t mean anything moving forward.

"So because of that, I don't feel like I'm where I need to be. I don't feel like I'm a finished product by any means. There’s a lot of stuff I can keep getting better at."

If Young were to go down at any point this season, Alabama would likely turn to redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe. The dual-threat quarterback completed just 3 of 7 passes for 41 yards while adding 57 more yards with his feet over four appearances last year but showed plenty of development this offseason.

“You can see him make decisions in the pocket, you can see him make pre-snap reads, pre-snap adjustments, post-snap reads,” Young said of Milroe this spring. “You can tell he’s really starting to piece things together. Also, I’ve seen how he has matured as a leader. You come in as a freshman, it’s all about figuring out yourself, getting your feet wet and figuring out what you’re doing. Now, he’s doing that and he has that stuff down and he’s trying to bring up others around him. I’m super proud of his development.”

Alabama also brought in another talented option in true freshman Ty Simpson. The five-star prospect is the No. 2 quarterback and No. 24 overall player in this year’s SI99. While he’s unlikely to see much action this season, Simpson demonstrated his athleticism on A-Day when he showed off his escapability in the pocket on several occasions.

“For a guy that’s only been here in the spring, I thought he made some good plays for the first time out,” Saban said following the A-Day game. “He’s a very conscientious guy, really works hard at it.” 

Projected Depth Chart 

1. Bryce Young (Jr.)
2. Jalen Milroe (So.)
3. Ty Simpson (Fr.)

Jalen Milroe

No. 2, 6'2" 212 pounds, redshirt freshman

Played in four games and finished 3-for-7, 41 passing yards and a touchdown, plus ran 15 times for 57 yards.

Milroe played high school football for Tompkins in Katy, Texas, and led his team to a 9-0 record in 2020 with 1,136 passing yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 259 yards and four scores. As a junior in 2019, he passed for 2,689 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 300 yards and seven scores. Chose Alabama over in-state Texas and Texas A&M along with Arizona, Florida and Oregon.

Ty Simpson

No. 15, 6'2" 198 pounds, freshman

The early enrollee was considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation and No. 24 overall recruit overall in the country according to Sports Illustrated All-American. ... Named the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year after throwing for 2,827 yards and 41 touchdowns – with just three interceptions – while rushing for 862 yards and 11 scores on 92 carries. He led Westview High School to the 2A Tennessee State Championship under the direction of head coach Jarod Neal.

Simpson participated in Nike’s “The Opening” and was selected to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. He threw for 1,888 yards as a junior on just 203 attempts with 20 touchdowns while rushing for 311 yards and seven scores.

Simpson chose Alabama over Clemson, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Bryce Young

No. 9, 6'0" 194 pounds, junior

Young was the first quarterback in Alabama history to win the Heisman Trophy, and fourth Crimson Tide player overall.

He also won the Maxwell Award, which recognizes college football's top player, and both the Davey O'Brien and Manning awards, which honor the best quarterback in college football. Young was also named college football's Player of the Year by the Associated Press and The Sporting News.

As a sophomore he set the Alabama single-season marks for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47), and was also named a team co-captain by his teammates.

Young won the starting job after backing up Mac Jones for a season.

This is part of a preseason position-by-position look at the 2022 Alabama Crimson Tide by BamaCentral.