Alabama Crimson Tide will play Blake Sims and Jake Coker in Week 2
Blake Sims received the start at quarterback over Jake Coker in Alabama’s season opener against West Virginia and fared well in the team’s 33-23 win over the Mountaineers, but head coach Nick Saban doesn’t think the quarterback competition is over yet.
“I still don’t hesitate to say there’s a quarterback competition,” Saban said.
Sims was 24-of-22 passing with 250 yards and an interception while also adding 42 yards on six rushes, but Saban said on Monday that he is committed to playing both Sims and Coker against Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
How much Coker will play or how soon he comes into the game remains to be seen after he handed the ball off in the final seconds of the Week 1 win and Saban is not letting out his plan just yet.
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“When I figure it out, I won’t tell you,” Saban said with a smile.
Many, including myself, believed Coker would be the team’s starter after transferring from Florida State where he nearly beat out Jameis Winston for the starting quarterback job for the Seminoles last year. He was on a number of preseason watch lists and his former head coach, Jimbo Fisher, said he was the most talented quarterback Saban has had while at Alabama.
Perhaps he needed a little more time to master the offense after arriving in the summer and behind Sims who had the benefit of spring practice to study Lane Kiffin’s playbook.
With Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss on the schedule the next two weeks before playing Florida on Sept. 20, the Crimson Tide have the benefit of extending this quarterback competition into the regular season with a favorable early schedule.
Who do you think is under center when Alabama takes on the Gators, Sims or Coker?