It’s a big offseason for head coach Kalen DeBoer and Alabama football. One of the most important elements: getting the quarterback position right.

Jalen Milroe is off to the NFL. His place will likely be filled by one of Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, with Simpson the presumed frontrunner after serving as Alabama’s primary backup in 2024.

On Tuesday, speaking while attending practice at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, DeBoer was asked how he would characterize his quarterback group.

“Probably the biggest thing is, there’s just not a lot of snaps that have been taken on a college football field,” DeBoer said. “But I also feel like the skillsets there, there’s very strong strengths that we have and excited about them being similar in a lot of ways.

“Of course everyone’s different, they got the things that they bring to the table, but they all three just work together and that’s really led to workouts already that they’re running that sounds like they’ve been very efficient and got a lot of work done. But I’m excited about what they all bring to the table. We’ll get back on campus here in February and work with them.”

Simpson was a holdover from Nick Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa. He competed with Milroe and Tyler Buchner for the starting job in 2023, and has been the Tide’s main backup for two seasons.

As Simpson enters his redshirt junior year, DeBoer praised his patience to remain at Alabama in the transfer portal era.

“You certainly appreciate what he’s done,” DeBoer said. “Just continued to work on what he can control and that’s himself. Continued to build relationships to get read for this chance that he has right in front of him to not just step up as a leader, because I I think he’s been doing that, but to have that opportunity to step in and be the quarterback.”

Alabama’s 2025 A-Day spring game is scheduled for April 12 in Tuscaloosa. The Tide opens the regular season Aug. 30 at Florida State.