The days of major college football programs carrying four scholarship quarterbacks might not be dead, but they’re dying fast, and it doesn’t sound like they’ll survive under new Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer, either. Traditionally, coaches have tended to sign one in every signing class and maintain four at any given time. But with the NCAA transfer portal making it highly difficult to keep fourth-stringers around at that position, three is the new four.
“I think that’s probably fair. I would never say no, or that we’ll never have a fourth scholarship quarterback. I think every year presents potentially differently, as far as where you have guys staggered in their classes and things like that,” said Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. “You never want to say you can’t have a fourth guy because each (year) is a unique situation. But for us, I think the timing of where these guys are at developmentally, I think we’re in a good spot.”
Signing one it every recruiting class is likely a guideline that’s here to stay, but with quarterback transfers being so common, that could be necessary just to keep three on hand going into each season. The upside to carrying only three is that each gets more repetitions in practice, making development a bit more streamlined. But the downside is that a single injury can create a precarious depth situation, something UA head coach Kalen DeBoer noted Monday in his post-spring news conference.
“Three isn’t very many, but it’s probably the number we’re going to have to be at. That’s what we’re expecting going into the fall. We had four last year, I think that’s kind of a unique situation. I’ve had three many times in the last few years. You’re always on edge,” DeBoer said.
Alabama‘s defensive linemen felt cheated by some quick whistles during spring practice, DeBoer said, but keeping presumptive starter Ty Simpson, backup Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell in good health is paramount.
“I own the quarterback whistle,” DeBoer added. “They’ve got to stay away, but yet they’ve got to get close enough to a sack to blow the play dead. We stayed away from the quarterbacks to make sure those guys are all healthy and upright.”
DeBoer added that he expects to enter the fall season with Simpson, Mack and Russell representing UA’s only scholarship players at the position, a strong indicator that the Crimson Tide has no interest in a quarterback in the NCAA’s spring transfer portal, which will be open for 10 days beginning Wednesday.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.
