List of Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterbacks


This is a list of every Alabama Crimson Tide football team quarterback and the years they participated on the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Alabama quarterbacks have played prominent roles in American society off the gridiron as well. Both Farley Moody and Charlie Joplin died while serving in the First World War.

Starting quarterbacks

1933 to present

The following players were the starting quarterbacks for the Crimson Tide each season since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1933.
NameSeason StartedNotabilityReferences
Ty Simpson2025
Jalen Milroe20222024As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Milroe got the start against Texas A&M in place of an injured Bryce Young. Milroe would throw three touchdown passes in the Tide's 24–20 win.
Tyler Buchner2023Buchner started one game in 2023 against [South 2014 Florida Gators football team|Florida Bulls football|South Florida] after a loss to Texas in the previous week led the team to bench Jalen Milroe. He was replaced by Ty Simpson before halftime, and did not appear in any other games before entering the transfer portal as a lacrosse player at the end of the season.
Bryce Young20212022As a sophomore in 2021, led the Tide to the SEC championship and a Cotton Bowl victory. Young became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy.
20192020Mac Jones became the starting quarterback the week after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a season-ending injury against Southeastern Conference rival Mississippi State on November 16, 2019. Jones led Alabama to win the College Football National Championship in 2020. Jones broke Alabama's single-season passing yards record and broke the FBS single-season record for completion percentage.
20182019Tua Tagovailoa won critical acclaim for his 2nd half performance in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship where he led Alabama to a come-from-behind overtime win against the Georgia Bulldogs. Tagovailoa won the starting job in the 2018 off-season and started his first game on September 1 against the Louisville Cardinals
20162017Hurts was the first freshman to start at QB for Nick Saban. He led Alabama to the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship game, which Alabama lost to Clemson, 35–31. In the 2017 season, he led Alabama to the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, where he was replaced during the game by Tua Tagovailoa.
Blake Barnett2016Barnett started the first game of the 2016 season against USC. He was replaced by Jalen Hurts, who became the starting quarterback. After limited playing time in the next few games, Barnett chose to leave the program and transfer to a junior college, and then to Arizona State where he was the backup QB behind Manny Wilkins. He was then the starting QB for the University of South Florida Bulls.
2015Bateman made his first career start at quarterback September 19, 2015
2015Coker led Alabama to the 2016 national championship, where they defeated Clemson, 45–40.
2014Sims was named starting quarterback just prior to their season opener against West Virginia after he won a prolonged competition against Jake Coker. Against Florida, Sims set a school record for total offense in a single game with his 484 yards that included 39 total yards rushing. Sims threw for 3,487 yards with 28 touchdowns. He also added 7 rushing touchdowns and 350 yards on the ground. He led the Tide to win the 2014 SEC Championship, in which he was the game's MVP.
20112013McCarron led the Crimson Tide to the 2011 and 2012 national championships and graduated as Alabama's career leader in passing yardage, completions and touchdowns. He also holds the record for passing touchdowns in a single season. He finished runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in the 2013 season. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2014 NFL draft.
20092010McElroy led the Crimson Tide to the 2009 national championship and was named ESPN Academic All-American of the Year for the 2010 season. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the 2011 NFL draft.
20062008Wilson graduated as the all-time leader in several categories that have since been eclipsed. He still holds the record for completions in a single-season. He went undrafted but played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
20022005Croyle graduated as the all-time leader in several categories that have since been eclipsed. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2006 NFL draft.
2004Guillon started a pair of games during the 2004 season after Brodie Croyle had a season-ending injury. He subsequently left the program in October 2006.
20032004He made his first career start October 4, 2003. Pennington started the final seven games of the 2004 season after injuries to both Brodie Croyle and Mark Guillon. He left the program in January 2005 to focus only on his baseball career with the Crimson Tide.
2003Avalos started against Southern Miss during the 2003 season due to injuries to both Brodie Croyle and Spencer Pennington. He left the program in January 2004.
19992002
19982001Led Alabama to a SEC Championship in 1999 and finished his career as the all time passing yards leader.
1998As a fifth year senior, Phillips started the first four games of the season before being replaced by Andrew Zow for the year.
1997
19951997
1993, 1995
19911994All-SEC. Barker led Alabama the 1992 national championship. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1995 NFL draft.
1991
19891990
19871988
19871989
19871988, 1984
19841986
19811983Lewis was the first black quarterback to start for the Crimson Tide and led Alabama during the final three seasons of the Bryant era.
1981
1981
1980
1979All-SEC. Shealy led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated season and the 1979 national championship.
19761978
19741975Todd was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 1976 NFL draft.
1973Rutledge was the first of two brothers to lead a national championship team. He led Alabama to the 1973 national championship and his brother Jeff Rutledge led Alabama to the 1978 national championship.
19711972
1970
19681970
1966
19661967All-SEC. Super Bowl XI Champion. Pro Football Hall of Fame.
19621965
19621964All-SEC. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Super Bowl III Champion.
19591961
1958
19561957
1956
19531955Pro Football Hall of Fame. NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. Two-time Super Bowl Champion and MVP. At Alabama, he also played punter.
19511952
19481950
19491950
1948
1947
19451946
19441947All-SEC
194119421941 team won Cotton Bowl and national championship. 1942 team won Orange Bowl. Drafted by Detroit Lions after WWII service.
19391940
19371938
19361938Outfielder in Major League Baseball.
1936All-SEC
19341935All-SEC
19321934

1922 to 1932

The following players were the predominant quarterbacks for the Crimson Tide each season after the establishment of the Southern Conference until the establishment of the Southeastern Conference.
NameYears StartedNotabilityReferences
19301931A member of Wallace Wade's last national championship team in 1930.
19301931A member of Wallace Wade's last national championship team in 1930.
1929
19271928
1927
19251926Barnes was a member of the first southern team to win the Rose Bowl, playing then as a halfback. Major League Baseball player for the Washington Senators.
19241925Hubert is the first quarterback for the Crimson Tide to win a national championship. He was All-Southern, a member of the first southern team to win the Rose Bowl, and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964. Coach Wallace Wade called him "undoubtedly one of the greatest football players of all time."
19231924Gillis was the first quarterback under Wallace Wade, and so is the first quarterback for the Crimson Tide to win a conference championship, and the first to be selected composite All-Southern. He was later a Major League Baseball player.
19201922Bartlett led the Tide to a 9-7 upset win over coach John Heisman's Penn team in 1922, one of the first times the Tide received national coverage in the newspapers. He was selected to some All-Southern teams, and received Walter Camp's All-America Honorable Mention.

1895 to 1921

The following players were the predominant quarterbacks for the Crimson Tide each season after the establishment of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association until the establishment of the Southern Conference.
NameYears StartedNotabilityReferences
1921Major League Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
William C. Baty1921
1920Captain of 1917 team.
1919Played in Major League Baseball as a catcher.
1917Was an All-Southern halfback in 1919 and 1920. Later coach at Bluefield.
1913; 1917
1916Creen ran in the touchdown to defeat Mississippi College 13 to 7. All-Southern. Walter Camp gave him All-America honorable mention. He transferred to Washington & Lee.
19141915
1912;1914Joplin was ruled ineligible because he refused to sign an affidavit stating that he had never played professional baseball. He was killed in the First World War.
19091912He made the field goal to beat Tulane 5 to 3 in 1910. Moody scored two touchdowns, including a 40-yard punt return, and added four extra points in the 24 to 0 win over Howard in 1911. He coached the 1915 team with athletic director B. L. Noojin after coach Kelley was hospitalized with typhoid fever. Moody was killed in the First World War.
19081910
19061907Nicknamed "Chick." Weighed just 120 pounds. Assistant coach for Bama c. 1913.
1905
1904
19021903Later a doctor in Lexington, Kentucky
19001901
1899
1897Transferred to the University of Virginia. Son of Birmingham philanthropist and New Market cadet Edward Magruder Tutwiler and relative of reformer Julia Tutwiler who is the namesake of Tutwiler Hall. One account reads "Ed Tutwiler is one of the greatest stars that football in the south ever produced. He was a graduate of the University in the class of '98, and afterwards went to the University of Virginia. He was considered the pluckiest quarterback in the south, and was noted for head work and generalship."
18951896Later a corporate lawyer.

1892 to 1894

The following players were the predominant quarterbacks for the Crimson Tide each season the team was a non-conference independent, following the birth of Alabama football.
NameYears StartedNotabilityReferences
18921894Later a distinguished judge in Birmingham