In his first Alabama camp battle, Jake Coker found himself doubting each throw. His processing speed was sacrificed in search of the “perfect rep.” When Blake Sims was named starting quarterback, Coker switched phones and stayed off social media.

It was the second time Coker changed his phone number in 2014, initially switching when he announced his transfer from Florida State in January and moved to Tuscaloosa. The Mobile, Ala. native immediately recognized the enormity of his decision. He had friends and family, on both sides of the Iron Bowl rivalry, and a fan base eager for his return.

While college football has been significantly altered since Coker’s departure, the pressure that comes with Alabama’s starting quarterback hasn’t.

One of Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner and potentially Dylan Lonergan will become the Crimson Tide’s next QB1 on Sept. 2. They’ll follow a run of four straight NFL starters at the position and look to guide No. 4 Alabama to its first title since 2020.

Aside from Milroe’s seven quarters of SEC experience, the rest of the Tide’s arms — a former five-star, a spring transfer and a surging freshman — have combined one pass attempted against one of the toughest conferences in the country. Six Southeastern Conference schools finished in the top 50 nationally in scoring defense last season. Alabama hosts No. 28 (Texas) in Week 2.

Even once an initial starter is named, Saban has referenced Alabama’s prior history. A backup’s opportunity is one, maybe two snaps away. Here’s what Coker, a national champion in 2015, and current SEC players said the Tide’s quarterbacks should know heading into the season.

Be a leader and ‘try as win as many games as you can’

Coker wanted to keep a low-key profile when trying to win over the locker room. Players roll their eyes when a guy comes in on the first day and tries to make a rah-rah speech before earning their respect. Coker wanted to worry about the job and knowing it was a cliché, he led by example.

But amid the rotating phone numbers and the weirdness of seeing himself on ESPN, Coker tried to keep his distance from the celebrity status that comes with the gig. Modern name, image and likeness deals have only added pressure for players. When Mississippi State’s Will Rogers was asked what advice he’d give an incoming quarterback, he summarized it well.

“Try as win as many games as you can,” Rogers said with a chuckle, “but, obviously, the direction college that football is going with NIL, things like that, I feel like you can get wrapped up in maybe the other things and not football as much.”

Leading a program comes with caution and opportunity. LSU defensive tackle Mehki Wingo noticed how, a year ago, he was watching newcomer Jayden Daniels learn the differences between the SEC and the Pac-12 in real time. This past spring, Daniels was embracing his leadership role. Teammates were going up to him and now asking for tips.

Tennessee starter Joe Milton III attempted to “fix the mistakes of his previous life” when he transferred out of Michigan in 2021. He had been an Elite 11 quarterback and starter with the Wolverines before being benched. Some questioned why he remained when Hendon Hooker wrestled away the starting job. But Milton found a home in Knoxville and with his teammates, and he’ll lead them into Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 21.

“I didn’t know anyone (at Tennessee),” Milton said. “I didn’t have nobody to like lean on until I met Hendon, (senior defensive lineman) Tyler Baron and (redshirt senior defensive back) Wesley Walker. After I met them, I was fine personally because the things I was facing, I could get it off my chest.”

Teammates can tell when the quarterback is ready. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker mentioned the Bryce Young-esque look he’s waiting to see in a huddle. The confident stare near the goal line when the game is on the line, and the whole team knows who’s about to take over.

Get ready for the schedule

The conference has embraced the transfer model. Seven programs have already announced their QB1 will be players who joined via the portal. Three others — Alabama, Texas A&M, Missouri — are undecided and have a potential transfer in the mix.

LSU’s Daniels, who won 18 games at Arizona State, adjusted better than most. He set the Tigers’ record for quarterback rushing touchdowns (11) and reached the SEC Championship, including two famed plays in Death Valley last November to upset the Tide in overtime.

“I really learned how tough and grueling the schedule really is,” reflected Daniels. “The type of talent you’re going up against each and every week and also having to deal with away games, the hostile crowd, the environment you got to. That’s something I learned. It actually met what I thought the SEC was an exceeded it to another level.”

Though Alabama’s toughest games are arguably at home like Texas (Sept. 9), Tennessee (Oct. 21) and LSU (Nov. 4), Alabama’s new starter will lead the Tide to crazy road atmospheres at Texas A&M (Oct. 7) and Auburn (Nov. 25).

If history repeats itself, the Tide could cement its quarterback competition as conference play opens against Ole Miss (Sept. 23). Cooper Bateman made a surprise start in 2015 against the Rebels and Coker cemented his starting role with a second-half rally that fell short. Coker said his four-touchdown showing allowed him to stop worrying about playing time, stay out of his own head and focus on performance.

“I think Coach Saban, what he really evaluates the most and I don’t think that you’re job is really safe until a few games in and he sees how you operate under pressure,” Coker said. “I think the practice is good and all, but you’re still wearing a black jersey.”

RELATED: What are Tyler Buchner’s strengths and weaknesses in Alabama football’s quarterback battle?

The case for Jalen Milroe

The case for Ty Simpson

‘It’s about the inches’

Three years after Coker felt unsure about his home state program in 2014, Tennessee tight end Jacob Warren struggled with his own doubts. Warren redshirted his freshman year and had one catch in his second. In a meeting with then-Volunteers coach Joe Osovet, Warren confided he didn’t know what his role was.

Warren asked: “Man, do I belong here? Did I make the wrong decision by coming to an SEC school?”

“‘Dude, you would never be here in a million years if you weren’t meant to be here,’” Warren recalled Osovet saying, ‘’You deserve to be here. You’ve earned every right to be on the field. Go out there and play like that.’”

The pep talk empowered Warren. Entering the conference did the same for Ole Miss cornerback Deantre Prince. He knew his opportunity was slim and the learning curve large when transferring from Northeast Mississippi Community College. Prince, who has the most interceptions of anyone on the Rebels’ active roster, thinks the journey “made (him) a better man.” His advice? Fight for everything.

Senior defensive end Cedric Johnson, Prince’s teammate, tells underclassmen to “buckle up.” Mississippi State defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy tells newcomers to prepare for the hardest training of their lives. The SEC tagline — It Just Means More — isn’t lost on its athletes.

“I let them know off the rip it’s not gonna be easy because it’s the best conference in college football,” Texas A&M junior defensive lineman Fadil Diggs said, ” … You just put in the work in every day, you stay in your playbook, watch film, it’ll all come back. Everybody is big and strong. It’s about the inches. Taking advantage of every inch you get.”

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].