5 burning questions for Alabama football after spring practice
With A-Day and spring football in the rearview, here’s five questions for the Tide to answer going into Kalen DeBoer’s second season as head coach.
Will the Tide get another tackle from transfer portal?
According to Alabama’s coaches, they’re feeling good about Wilkin Formby at right tackle. Still, both Deboer and Ryan Grubb wanted to continue to see development.
My early impression of Wilkin was just the film that I had seen from last year,” Grubb said. “And you know, guys like that, you come into a situation like this, and you hope that they’ve made some big strides and and I certainly think Wilkin had done that, and was really happy with where he ended up in the spring. He’s got a long ways to go. Still got a ton of work to do. He knows that, and he’s ready to get to work.”
Formby struggled early in the 2024 season, before being benched for Elijah Pritchett. Now, he’s the obvious starter on the right side, opposite Kadyn Proctor.
With Proctor returning from an injury and Formby working to prove himself, it makes sense for the Crimson Tide to look for a starter-quality tackle in the transfer portal. Even if DeBoer and company have complete belief in their starters, it still likely behooves them to find more depth at the position.
Will a quarterback transfer out?
It came as a surprise when, at a Monday press conference to wrap up spring practice, Grubb declared Ty Simpson the clubhouse leader in Alabama’s quarterback battle. Simpson was already presumed to be the favorite, and had taken the lion’s share of first-team reps on A-Day.
Grubb and DeBoer made clear that the competition isn’t over yet. Still, with the transfer portal now open, it left the door open for either Austin Mack or Keelon Russell to hit the road.
“I really hope we can,” DeBoer said, when asked how confident he was that Alabama could keep its entire QB room intact. “And related to the portal in general, you never know, right? That possibility always exists. But I feel good about our team and our roster as far as the general chemistry, guys feeling like they’re continuing to be developed, that they continue to have a chance to compete and have an opportunity here. I feel like that’s the case here at the quarterback position too.”
Russell is still a true freshman, so it’s a fairly safe bet that he sticks around. However, the potential is there for Mack to seek greener pastures, especially if he thinks there’s a starting job waiting for him somewhere else.
Can Ty Simpson hold onto his lead?
Presuming the other two remain in Tuscaloosa, the competition continues among Alabama’s quarterbacks. Simpson is the most experienced, and it has helped him so far, but there’s potential for Mack or Russell to catch up come preseason camp.
If we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start,” Grubb said. “And he earned that, okay? And I know that’s the line everybody’s looking for, but that is what he earned. Austin Mack made huge strides, also available reps were the same, you know, and he did a really good job. He came out and developed. Just with some of the nuances and take care of the football and things like that, but Ty showed out a little bit better.”
Based on what the three quarterbacks showed at A-Day, Simpson is the safest bet. He made several nice throws and was the lone passer to not throw an interception.
Will that stability be enough to win him the job when it really counts in camp?
Which freshman DBs will contribute?
Alabama was thin at defensive back due to injuries this spring. Keon Sabb and Domani Jackson both missed the practices, opening up chances for some Crimson Tide freshmen to step up.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was asked about a few of them after A-Day, including cornerback Dijon Lee
