Nick Saban comments on Ole Miss quarterbacks

The Crimson Tide head coach commented on both Matt Corral and John Rhys Plumlee on Wednesday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football head coach Nick Saban commented on the Ole Miss quarterbacks in his weekly press conference Wednesday.

Ole Miss starting quarterback Matt Corral left last Saturday’s game against Cal with bruised ribs. True freshman John Rhys Plumlee replaced him on the field, with Corral remaining sidelined.

This week, Corral has been absent from practices. Both Plumlee and true freshman Grant Tisdale have been doing reps in practice, it remains to be seen who will be starting for the Rebels on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

“Both guys are really good athletes,” Saban said. “Both guys can really run. Both guys are very capable passers. We don’t really know — we know what they’ve done with Matt [Corral] when he’s playing— we don’t really know exactly what their plan would be with the number two guy if he has to play.”

As of right now, Corral is still listed as ‘questionable’ for Saturday’s game, and with both Plumlee and Tisdale taking snaps, there’s no way of knowing who will start the game.

Despite admitting to not knowing their plan, Saban had some comments on Plumlee’s performance in the final moments of the game against Cal.

“He’s a very good athlete; he’s very fast,” Saban said. “He can make great plays with his feet. We don’t know if they’ll be more into the quarterback runs. If that’s the case, he made two explosive plays at the end of the game last week.

“It’s hard to know the unknown, to be honest with you.”

Ole Miss coach Matt Luke didn't tip his hand much earlier Wednesday during the SEC coaches' teleconference with reporters when he was asked if he knew who would start.

“No, not yet," he said. "We’re trying to get [Matt Corral] back healthy. He was very limited yesterday. He was able to be out there for the team portion of practice, but we’re going to try to get him ready to go. 

"John Rhys Plumlee and Grant Tisdale took all the reps yesterday. But they are very different, so we’d love to have both ready and have to have them prepare for both.” 

The Crimson Tide continue to prepare for its matchup with Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa this weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT (CBS).