What Tommy Rees hire means for Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson QB battle at Alabama

Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson will kick off their QB battle at Alabama Spring Camp with a new offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, running the show.

Bill O’Brien is out. Tommy Rees is in.

Alabama has a new offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, which means their quarterback battle can finally get going.

O’Brien left to take over the Patriots OC job, opening the door for Nick Saban to pick up Rees from Notre Dame.

So what does Rees’ arrival mean for Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and the other quarterbacks vying to replace Bryce Young?

How will Tommy Rees change the Alabama QB battle?

Immediately, fans and media picked up on the fact that Rees recruited Ty Simpson at Notre Dame. Just don’t put too much stock in that giving Simpson a leg up in the QB battle.

The five-star prospect was recruited by dozens of coaches. He got an offer from the Irish in late January of 2021, per 247Sports, and committed to Alabama a month later. The relationship between Simpson and Rees doesn’t sound like it was particularly special.

That’s not to say Simpson isn’t the leader in the clubhouse. With his talent level, he was always going to be a favorite whether it was O’Brien or Rees calling the shots.

Milroe has more experience at his disposal, but that experience was in another OC’s system. He’ll have to make sure the things he’s learned in live game reps give him a leg up.

He doesn’t have as high of a ceiling as Simpson. What he does have is true dual-threat ability that could give him an edge. Rees is not afraid to get his QBs on the run. Ian Book averaged 9.67 carries per game in 2020. Tyler Buchner used his legs when possible. Milroe has game-breaking ability. Rees could look to exploit it.

There’s also the question of the four-star freshman Eli Holstein. Freshmen are increasingly able to impact the college game almost as soon as they step on campus and Alabama will be looking to several freshmen to make a difference in 2023. Perhaps Rees will see something in Holstein that puts him in contention.

The stage is set for a major duel this Spring Camp. Time for Rees and the quarterbacks to get to work.

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