Who will start at QB for Alabama? One sportsbook has put odds on the competition

Who ends up as Bryce Young‘s successor for the Alabama Crimson Tide is one of the intriguing storylines for college football at-large and for the Texas Longhorns. On Monday, BetOnline.ag handicapped the competition Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will oversee ahead of the 2023 regular season and the Longhorns’ Sept. 9 trip to Tuscaloosa.

The odds were specifically for who Alabama’s Week 1 starting quarterback would be. Ty Simpson was the favorite at +105 or 21/20 odds. Next was Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner at +140 or 7/5 odds. Third was Jalen Milroe, who was +300.

Simpson, a 6-foot-2, 203-pound redshirt freshman from Martin (Tenn.) Westview, has played in four games in his career for the Crimson Tide. His appearances in 2022 included late snaps versus Utah State, Louisiana-Monroe, Vanderbilt, and Austin Peay. Simpson is 4-of-5 for 35 yards in his career.

A member of the class of 2022, Simpson was ranked as the No. 25 overall prospect, the No. 2 quarterback, and the No. 2 player in Tennessee according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. On3 ranked Simpson as the No. 30 overall prospect, the No. 3 quarterback, and the No. 2 prospect in Tennessee.

Buchner, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound transfer from Notre Dame, played in 13 games with three starts for the Fighting Irish across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was with Rees while in South Bend, amassing 949 yards and six touchdowns with eight interceptions in his career. He started the first two games of the 2022 season for Notre Dame before suffering an injury that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the regular season. He eventually returned for Notre Dame’s bowl game versus South Carolina, throwing three touchdowns, rushing for two more, and tossing three interceptions.

Following Sam Hartman’s transfer to ND, Buchner entered the transfer portal and reunited with Rees. A product of The Bishop’s School in San Diego, Calif., Buchner was ranked as the No. 94 overall prospect, the No. 14 quarterback, and the No. 8 player in California according to the 2021 On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranked Buchner as the No. 199 overall prospect, the No. 20 quarterback, and the No. 8 player in California.

Milroe, a one-time Texas commit from Katy (Texas) Tompkins, replaced Young during the Arkansas game and started in his place versus Texas A&M in 2022. He appeared in eight games, completing 58.5 percent of his passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns over three interceptions. He rushed 31 times for 263 yards and a score before returning to the backup role.

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound redshirt sophomore, Milroe was ranked as the No. 90 overall prospect, the No. 13 quarterback, and the No. 16 prospect in Texas according to the 2021 On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranked Milroe as the No. 102 overall prospect, the No. 12 quarterback, and the No. 16 player in Texas in the 2021 class.

Texas travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face the Crimson Tide in a rematch of a 2022 thriller Alabama won on a last-minute field goal. The game at Bryant-Denny Stadium will kick off at 6 p.m. Central and air on ESPN.