Alabama Crimson Tide

Nick Saban compares Alabama QB race to baking a carrot cake

Published Jul. 19, 2023 6:46 p.m. ET

With the college football season just over a month away, Alabama is in unfamiliar territory – in the middle of a three-man race for quarterback to replace Bryce Young.

Tyler Buchner, Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson are the competing quarterbacks, and longtime Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has compared the competition to baking a carrot cake.

"Grandma Saban used to bake the best cakes in the world," said Saban. "I used to stand by the oven when I was a kid and say, 'When's this cake going to be done? When's this cake going to be done?' And she said, 'If I take it out of the oven too soon it's going to turn to mush.'

"So I think we've got to let this develop and make sure we let the cake bake until somebody separates themselves. All the players are working hard, they all have a good attitude, they're all competing well."

By default, redshirt sophomore Milroe is the favorite for the job based on his experience last season in Young's absence in the second half of the Arkansas game and the entire matchup against Texas A&M, where he completed 16 of 28 passes for 176 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Simpson, a redshirt freshman, only played in four games and threw five passes. Although he's the most inexperienced of the trio, he's said to have the strongest arm.

Buchner is the most experienced after transferring in May from Notre Dame. While he's very familiar with new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and his system, he's the least experienced with the team's personnel. Buchner has played in 13 games, including three starts.

Saban claims he'll make the decision when he's ready to, not when the season starts on Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee, which mimics what he's done in past situations, dating back to benching Jalen Hurts in the 2017 National Championship and, in 2015, alternating between Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman through September before Coker won the job.

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