Nick Saban hints at his pick to win Alabama football QB battle

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As a quarterback battle brews in Tuscaloosa, Nick Saban sees a parallel with one of the most uncertain preseasons of his coaching career with Alabama football.

During an appearance on SEC Network on Wednesday, July 22, the legendary coach reflected on the Crimson Tide‘s turbulent 2015 quarterback competition, when three different QBs saw action through Alabama‘s first three games before Jake Coker ultimately led the program to a national championship.

Those days are gone, and the Kalen DeBoer era has arrived. The current offense isn’t loaded with weapons like Derrick Henry or Calvin Ridley, but instead returns the least amount of production in the SEC.

“We just needed a quarterback to manage the game and not mess it up, and (to) be able to throw the ball down the field and complement the great running game we have,” Saban said of the 2015 situation.

While the circumstances aren’t identical, Saban believes Alabama once again has multiple quarterbacks capable of winning games on its roster.

“I think both these guys are capable,” Saban said of Keelon Russell and Austin Mack. “Quarterback is the most difficult position to play based on how the people around you play, so that may have something to do with who they determine is the starter. What’s the best fit with the rest of the players on the team?”

Russell was the first name Saban mentioned and the only one on which he expounded.

“I’ve watched this guy for two springs. He didn’t play much in the fall. This guy is a talented guy who is a playmaker who can make plays, and whether he’s ready to play now or not — obviously, the coaches have to determine that — he is going to be an outstanding player in the future,” Saban said.

“Jake Coker fit the rest of the team. Derrick Henry gained 1,800 yards. We made lots of big plays down the field because we could run it, and we won the national championship,” Saban said. “So if you’d have watched us the first three games of the season, you might say, ‘These guys might not have a winning season.'”

East Carolina is the first team on the docket for Alabama this season, which will start at 11 a.m. CT, Saturday, Sept. 5 in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban hints at his pick to win Alabama football QB battle