Alabama wide receivers coach calls Crimson Tide QB room ‘deadly’ for 2024 season – Touchdown Alabama

The photo comes from the SEC Media portal

Jalen Milroe is the catalyst, but Alabama football has a quarterback room that is really good.

Milroe returns with experience and an opportunity to win a Memorial Heisman Trophy. Redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson watched things from the bench and spent time on the court last season. Dylan Lonergan, a redshirt freshman, has a very talented arm, and Austin Mack is young but has a lot of potential. Milroe guided the Crimson Tide to a Southeastern Conference championship and a berth in the 2023 College Football Playoff, even though he did not play in the South Florida game.

He had 2,834 passing yards and 35 total touchdowns, but JaMarcus Shephard – Alabama’s wide receivers coach – had praise for the entire quarterback room Wednesday in an interview via Tide 100.9 FM. He called the play “deadly” for the upcoming season.

“We have guys in there that, at any given moment, can shoot the ball at a very high level,” Shephard said.

“Of course it all starts with Jalen Milroe. He had a phenomenal spring, getting to know the system and understanding how we wanted him to read the concepts. His leadership qualities were on full display throughout the spring. It’s been fun to see what this young man can do, honestly, just being part of an offense where the quarterback is maybe the most athletic guy on the football field. »

Simpson, a former five-star in the 2022 signing class, has had a very good spring. He came off the bench last year to replace Tyler Buchner in the game against USF and led two 80-yard scoring drives. Simpson helped the Tide to a 17-3 road victory.

Shephard has been impressed with Simpson’s growth and maturation throughout spring practice.

“He started running the offense at an extremely high level,” Shephard said. “He’s a playmaker, honestly. He was a playmaker throughout the spring, I enjoyed watching him play. »

Lonergan, a former four-star in the 2023 freshman class, has had two impressive years in spring training.

Shephard likes the arm talent he has coming from Georgia.

“Dylan Lonergan, once he got on the field, got going,” Shephard said. “He showed he had natural arm ability. »

Shephard also highlighted Mack’s potential, regardless of his youth.

“Then Austin Mack, he’s a young buck, but he’s shown flashes throughout the spring that there’s going to be a time and a place for him at some point here in Alabama,” Shephard said.

All four players bring something different, but it starts with Milroe. If he can improve his ability to read defenses and connect on 10-15 yard passes in the end zone, he will be deadly in the fall and should lead Alabama to the national championship.

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Stephen M. Smith is the senior editor of Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can like it on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.