For a few days, Alabama Fall Camp news has been similar to an aquatic dead zone. With no media eyes on practices since Wednesday, the Crimson Tide’s two subsequent sessions and Saturday’s scrimmage will be hidden from public view.
Visibility will change in a big way on Sunday with Alabama Football Fan Day on Nick Saban Field in Bryant-Denny.
Crimson Tide fans hope for snippets of scrimmage news, even if they are considered rumors. Near the top of every Tide fan’s list of ‘want to know’ is how well Jalen Milroe is running the new offense.
Fan Day viewing will provide limited information. Absent leaks from guests invited to the Tide’s scrimmages, solid insight on the new offense must wait until the season opener.
Quarterback is a strength for the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban has made it clear that Milroe stresses opposing defenses in a way other quarterbacks cannot. Given that team strength, if the Tide’s other offensive components are proficient, a tough Alabama schedule is made less challenging.
Talking quarterbacks and other teams, 247Sports recently ranked college football’s Top 25 QBs and identified 13 more as Honorable Mention selections. Eight of the Top 25 are SEC quarterbacks and two more made the Honorable Mention addition.
Alabama will play against five QBs in the Top 25 and a sixth when adding the additional 13 QBs. The six and their raNking are Carson Beck (No. 3); Brady Cook (No. 15); Garrett Nussmeier (No. 23); Nico Iamaleava (No. 24) and Wisconsin’s Tyler Van Dyke (HM). Van Dyke is Wisconsin’s projected starter but Luke Fickell has yet to name his QB1.
Jalen Milroe is ranked No. 4 in the Top 25 rankings. A fair debate can ensue that Milroe should be ranked higher than the SEC’s third-best QB. Ole Miss QB, Jaxson Dart is rated top in the SEC and ranked No.2 in the Top 25.
Instead of debate, let’s credit the 247Sports group with a good job compiling what they admit is a subjective ranking. Assuming the QBs are ranked accurately, we can ask how good must a quarterback be to beat Alabama. Any answer is 100% subjective, but I’ll offer one anyway. Except for Georgia, nobody on Alabama’s schedule has a quarterback good enough to beat Alabama. Brady Cook might deserve to be added, but unlike Beck, Cook does not have enough roster help.
Considering potential Atlanta matchups in December, Quinn Ewers and Jaxson Dart can be added as QBs good enough to beat Alabama. That comprises the complete list until the Playoffs. Not making the cut, are Wisconsin’s Van Dyke, Tennessee’s Iamleava, and LSU’s Nussmeier. According to 247, USF’s QB, Byrum Brown is better than several other SEC quarterbacks, but similar to Brady Cook, Brown does not have enough help to beat Alabama.
