So, the inevitable is now a reality. Bryce Young’s time at Alabama is over and so the conversation begins.

The 2023 Alabama quarterback competition is on.

It’s been a while since the Crimson Tide had a real battle for QB1 and it’s certainly the first since transfer rules were loosened so the dynamic will be somewhat different than in the past.

That said, two quarterbacks — Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson — with a combined 65 collegiate passing attempts, are set to be joined by two signees from the 2023 class. The transfer portal, of course, is the wildcard added to the mix — new since Tua Tagovailoa beat Jalen Hurts for the Alabama starting gig entering the 2018 season.

That makes handicapping the race a little more complicated but the next man up for the 2022 season was Jalen Milroe. A redshirt freshman, the Katy, Texas product took all the meaningful snaps after Young’s shoulder injury at Arkansas. That included a start against Texas A&M in a wild ride of big plays and costly turnovers.

Milroe spoke with AL.com for a few minutes in the locker room after the 45-20 Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State about the season that ended and the offseason to come. Simpson said he was unavailable when approached in the locker room open for 20 minutes to reporters.

Milroe spoke about the emotional moment in the fourth quarter of the bowl game when he replaced Young after the game was in hand.

“Yeah, it was definitely a moment for both of us,” Milroe said. “Just to have that moment with him. It was definitely teary eyes, for sure. That’s my brother. We had a relationship beyond football so just to have that moment with him, that one final time, it meant a lot to me.”

The conversation shifted to the offseason. His goal is simple.

“Overall, just get 1% better each and every day,” Milroe said. “Just collab with the team, find our identity, come together as a team and just build on each day we have together.”

Winning the locker room and the offense is always a huge part of claiming that top quarterback job. If there were any questions as to who would be the starter in 2020, Mac Jones took charge by organizing workouts and throwing sessions during that disjointed offseason. He had the edge there over Young, the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2020 signing class.

Neither signee has quite that kind of credentials but one has a bit of a head start on where Young entered the program. Eli Holstein, the No. 9 quarterback and No. 74 QB in 247Sports’ composite, enrolled in time to participate in Sugar Bowl practices. He even made the trip to New Orleans for bowl-week workouts.

Fellow signee Dylan Lonergan — the 11th-ranked QB and 140th overall in the 247Sports composite — will also reportedly enroll early to bring the number of scholarship quarterbacks to four for spring practice.

“We’re obviously happy with both guys,” Saban said of the incoming quarterbacks on early signing day. “They’ve both been in successful programs. We know a lot about them. They’re great people. I think they have really good potential. I think with this day and age you really want to make sure when you know basically guys to leave your team whenever they want that you have enough guys at each position and that they want to be the kind of guys that want to develop at that position. So I think both of these guys are very much committed to that. So I mean, other than that, they’re the kind of guys that we want and I think they fit the profile of what we need at the position.”

How they’ll factor into the competition is still to be determined but Saban’s started true freshmen in the past. Hurts ultimately won the job in 2016 after impressing in spring practice and seizing the job after entering the season-opening win over USC.

There’s still a long way to go before opening day.

“Everything is God’s plan,” Milroe said. “God’s plan.”

In terms of specifics, Milroe said he wants to become a better version of himself this offseason.

And that Texas A&M game was a learning experience. Milroe completed 12 of 19 passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns while running it 17 times for 83 yards. That included a long of 33 yards but he twice fumbled, resulting in short fields and Texas A&M touchdowns. He also threw an interception in a game Alabama won 24-20 as the Aggies scored 17 of its points on possessions following turnovers.

“There’s more in my toolbox that I can learn from,” Milroe said. “Just make each of my strengths stronger and turn any weaknesses into a strength.”

A week earlier, his 77-yard scramble on third-and-10 was the spark that quashed an Arkansas comeback attempt. It’s the speed that made him a threat that defenses must monitor.

Simpson arrived last spring as the No. 3 quarterback and No. 26 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite. He saw action in four games this fall, keeping his redshirt intact. The Martin, Tennessee product completed 4 of the 5 passing attempts for 35 yards in the closing moments of wins over Utah State, Vanderbilt and Austin Peay. He also played in the Louisiana-Monroe game.

Before the bowl game, Young said he saw progress from both Milroe and Simpson this season.

“There’s been a lot of growth in the meeting room, a lot of growth when it comes to reading and processing, and growth physically too,” Young said. “I’ve been able to see firsthand just how much better they’ve both been since they first stepped foot here on campus. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in everyone in that room. Just to really see the progression, I’m blessed to be part of that room. Those are guys I’m really close with, as well. So I have all the confidence in the world in those guys.”

For Milroe, he’ll forever be thankful for Young and the two seasons he spent as his understudy in Tuscaloosa.

He listed a few of the things he learned from the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner.

“Poise. Composure,” Milroe said. “Who he is as a person and his work ethic. Just his time in the film and him as a player overall. He has unique talent. I love watching Bryce and learning from him.”

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.