Alabama QB depth chart after Jalen Milroe declares for draft: Who’s next man up?

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished their first season under Kalen DeBoer with a whimper, losing to Michigan, 19-13, in the ReliaQuest Bowl. It's hard to get too worked up about bowl outcomes in this day and age, but Alabama fans are used to the College Football Playoff — not some anonymous bowl game against the Big Ten's greatest disappointment.

Alabama did pull out a few signature wins this season, including a scorcher over No. 2-ranked Georgia, but the Crimson Tide stumbled one time too many in their bid to crack the first-ever 12-team Playoff field. Now change is on the horizon as DeBoer looks to improve the product in year two.

The first major domino has already fallen for Alabama, as starting quarterback Jalen Milroe declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday. He will be in the mix for a first-round pick, depending on how the board falls.

Milroe was mostly excellent for the Crimson Tide this season, often pulling out clutch runs and showcasing one of the liveliest arms in college football. He completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,844 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, adding another 726 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground.

Here's where Bama will turn next.

Alabama QB depth chart after Jalen Milroe declares for 2025 NFL Draft: Austin Mack takes over

This is a profoundly fascinating situation, as the truth here is a bit more complicated than the neat, segmented chart you see above. We don't have a clue who DeBoer will ultimately start in 2025. The college football landscape is ever-changing and all three names listed above will have a strong case.

Ty Simpson gets the nod, ostensibly, as the most experienced QB left on Alabama's roster. He was listed as QB2 behind Jalen Milroe all season and he has seemingly earned his moment in the sun after three years of patient work behind the scenes in Tuscaloosa.

That said, there are two equally compelling options waiting in the wings. Austin Mack, a former four-star recruit who followed DeBoer from Washington to Alabama, has talent for days. He has also been under DeBoer's tutelage for longer, whereas Simpson is a Nick Saban holdover. Mack learned the ropes from Michael Penix Jr. as a freshman and understands the DeBoer offense well. He has a real shot to leapfrog Simpson.

Perhaps the most interesting variable, however, is incoming five-star freshman Keelon Russell, the top-ranked QB in his class. Russell, obviously, hopes to start sooner than later in college, and he made eye-opening comments when asked about DeBoer's plans for him in year one.

"What jumps to me is the fact they want me to come and be the starting quarterback ASAP,” Russell told On3 (h/t Athlon Sports). “Like I talk to Coach DeBoer, while I was in his office, laid-back, chill I knew I was getting the honest truth out of him."

That is... a real doozy. Believe him or don't, but Russell isn't hiding the fact that he expects a rapid come-up in the Crimson Tide program. There's an established upperclassman and a redshirt sophomore ahead of him, in theory, but Russell might be too electric for Alabama to keep under wraps for too long. If this ends up as an open competition in training camp, what's to stop Russell from outperforming his peers and winning DeBoer's favor out of the gate? Not much.

This feels like a legitimate three-horse race, in which anybody could emerge on top. DeBoer has some tough decisions on his plate.