Nick Saban sees Alabama QB battle taking shape

College QB news - August 24, 2023

Photo courtesy of Alabama Athletics Photography

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL QB REPORT

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Alabama head coach Nick Saban said the quarterback competition will not end when the season stars Week 1. While he didn’t mention many names in the Jalen Milroe (Stats) vs. Ty Simpson (Stats) vs. Tyler Buchner (Stats) QB battle, Saban said this competition is taking shape. Reports out of camp have said Milroe and Simpson pulled away from Buchner with Milroe in a slight lead. This may not matter in the first game against Middle Tennessee, but that’s followed by a showdown with Texas.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he’s optimistic QB Cade McNamara (Stats) will be healthy enough to play Week 1, according to Hawkeye Insider’s David Eickholt. McNamara has been held out of practice with a soft-tissue injury, but he could return this week or early next week. Joe Labas (Stats) has also been dealing with a soft-tissue injury since July, and Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill (Stats) is the top option right now.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said the backup quarterback situation will be sorted out by Friday, according to ESPN700. Not many teams are starting the 2023 season down two quarterbacks, but that appears to be the situation Utah finds themselves one week away from the season opener against Florida. With Cam Rising (Stats) still limited and Brandon Rose (Stats) out indefinitely, Whittingham said the Bryson Barnes (Stats) vs. Nate Johnson (Stats) QB battle is very even at this point.

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DEPTH CHART & INJURY REPORT

Week 1 College football QB depth charts & injuries

Virginia Tech named Grant Wells (Stats) its starting quarterback, according to The Tech Lunch Pail’s Tim Thomas. Wells entered the QB battle with a massive experience advantage over Kyron Drones (Stats), who never started a game over the last two seasons at Baylor. Wells joined the Hokies prior to the 2022 season where he became the starter after receiving a ton of game action at Marshall.