With just 14 weeks to kickoff, Kalen DeBoer reveals what he wants from Alabama QB1 after Jalen Milroe's departure 

Alabama begins its 2025 football season in 14 weeks. The Crimson Tide will open on the road at Florida State on Aug. 30 in Tallahassee. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT.

Week 0 of the college football calendar is Aug. 23, but Alabama is not scheduled to play that weekend, after the full 2025 schedule was released on Dec. 11. Florida State finished 2–10 last season.

Jalen Milroe, who led Alabama’s offense in 2024, is now with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. He passed for 2,844 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions along with 20 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 274.6 total yards and 16.8 points per game.

With Milroe gone, the competition for Alabama’s starting quarterback includes Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Simpson, a former five-star recruit, returns with the most experience. DeBoer noted the staff hopes to name a starter “a week-and-a-half” before kickoff.

On Monday, Kalen DeBoer joined "Always College Football" and said all three quarterbacks bring mobility.

“I think all three quarterbacks that we have do have the ability to extend plays,” DeBoer said. “Using their legs to keep plays alive. And Austin Mack, even as big as he is, once he gets moving, he covers a lot of ground. Ty was a great dual-threat, and Keelon has the same abilities — to make people miss and probably faster than most people think.”

(from 11:01 mark onwards)

DeBoer said he’s encouraged by the group’s effort, but the coach also noted the need for further progress:

“We’re not where we need to be, and that might sound like a knock on those guys, but that’s expected. There’s a progression. There’s a process these guys got to be on. None of them have taken this overwhelming number of college snaps, especially in a game, much less with the ones on the practice field.”

Charles Barkley crosses paths with Kalen DeBoer and offers praise

Alabama enters 2025 coming off a 9-4 season that ended without a College Football Playoff berth. Fans will be expecting to see improvements soon.

During the Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Alabama, Charles Barkley, notably an Auburn alum, crossed paths with Kalen DeBoer and offered praise for the Crimson Tide’s second-year coach:

“I can’t say this loud... you have a great program,” Barkley said.

The 2024 season led to questions around DeBoer’s fit in Tuscaloosa. The offseason has been defined by an open quarterback competition, and Kalen DeBoer appears set to name a starter roughly two weeks before the season opener against Florida State on Aug. 30.