TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A new day dawns in Tuscaloosa with Alabama spring practice opening up on Monday. For the first time in 17 years, there will be someone new patrolling the sidelines and behind the podium at the post-practice press conference.
There will be a lot of changes and adjustments to what players, fans and media alike will have to get used to, but there is fresh excitement in the air as the temperatures continue to warm up, and Alabama football starts life post-Nick Saban.
Kalen DeBoer’s era as the head coach of the Crimson Tide begins on-field work with the first spring practice on Monday, and the spring will conclude with his first A-Day game on April 13 at 3 p.m. inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Here are 10 storylines to watch out for throughout spring camp for the Crimson Tide:
If Saban were still the head coach, I don’t think this would be a question. As a returning captain and top-10 Heisman finisher, Jalen Milroe would be the starter. And I still think that will be the case, and it is his job to lose.
However, DeBoer brings a very different offensive system to Tuscaloosa than what has been run in the past. Washington had the second-best passing offense in the country last season, and Husky starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was runner-up for the Heisman. DeBoer and his offensive staff have proven they can develop quarterbacks, and in media appearances DeBoer has been encouraged by the growth of Milroe.
But Alabama has an interesting mix of talent in its quarterback room. Ty Simpson enters his third season at Alabama and chose to stick around for another spring despite sitting behind Milroe last season. Dylan Lonergan only saw action in one game last season against Chattanooga, but the redshirt freshman continued to develop buzz as one of the best arms on the team and had a strong A-Day performance in 2023.
Perhaps the most intriguing piece in the quarterback room is Washington transfer Austin Mack. He’s the only one that already has firsthand experience in DeBoer’s system and got to sit behind and learn from Michael Penix Jr. this past season as an early enrollee at Washington.
