With Jalen Milroe's return, Crimson Tide QB room may be a bit too full

What is a gift for the fans and the coaching staff, however, is more of a curse for the other blue-chip quarterbacks hoping for an opportunity to lead the Tide in 2024 and beyond.

After the departure of Tyler Buchner, who left to play lacrosse at Notre Dame, Alabama still has five-star quarterback Ty Simpson and four-star quarterbacks Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan in the QB room. The Tide also just added another five-star, Julian Sayin, who enrolled early for Rose Bowl practice. 

Even amid a group of passers who are talented enough to start pretty much anywhere, Sayin stands out. In the 247 Composite of recruiting rankings, he's the top quarterback in the country and the No. 5 player overall.

But only one quarterback can take snaps at a time, and with Milroe's success as a starter, the true fight will be for the backup role for 2024 before the race truly opens up for the 2025 season.

With the starter spot locked down for so long, the quarterbacks who lose out when jockeying for position will likely transfer to another school for playing time, especially as their college eligibility continues to tick away. In this era of the transfer portal, it's simply the best option for players looking to show off their skills for NFL teams.

It will be tough to see such talent leave, but for Bama fans, there's still hope that's best summed up by their Rose Bowl opponent Michigan. With hard work and a little luck, "those who stay will be champions."