Alabama football's quarterback battle has overshadowed what will be Tide's backbone

Tuscaloosa News Anytime there's a quarterback battle, especially in a program with national relevance such as Alabama football, it will always be the center of attention in the offseason. It's the nature of the game and the position. Quarterback almost always draws the most interest, whether it's high school, college or professional football.

So as Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner and Dylan Lonergan compete to take over for Bryce Young, it's no surprise that battle has dominated preseason discussions. Kevin Steele probably doesn't mind that. The new defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide is putting together a defense that could wind up being the best in the country.

Seriously. It has that kind of potential. It has been talked about some, but to a certain extent, the Alabama defense has flown under the radar.

That's despite the fact it has the chance to be the true foundation of Nick Saban's team in 2023. Put it this way: The defense might be so good that the quarterback, whoever it might be all season, doesn't need to play like a Heisman Trophy winner. Let's start with a caveat, though; the defense might not be dominant to the level of some early Saban defenses at Alabama, but the game isn't what it once was back then.

Nonetheless, this defense has the ability to be one of the better ones in recent memory. There are game-changers at each level. Up front, there's Jaheim Oatis.

At linebacker, Dallas Turner. In the secondary, Kool-Aid McKinstry. And those are just the headliners.

“Defense has no limits to it this year," Turner said. "From what I’ve seen every day at practice, the type of work we’re putting in, the unity as one, the togetherness we’re starting to have, the bond on and off the field. There’s no limit to how the defense can be good.

” Edge rusher Chris Braswell could be in line for a breakout season opposite Turner on the edge. Linebacker Deontae Lawson has generated significant buzz through what he has done in scrimmages and practices this offseason in the middle of the defense. Cornerback Terrion Arnold looks to be taking the next step at cornerback.

Safety Caleb Downs is in a spot to make an instant impact, even though he's a freshman. Then there's defensive back Malachi Moore, who showed in the A-Day game he's going to be a problem for opposing offenses; He's a chess piece Steele has to be thrilled about. "Nasty," "dominant" and other words that a defense loves to be called are some of the phrases that scrimmage observers have thrown around during fall camp.

That, in part, could be a source of some of the inconsistency from the quarterbacks. They're not only trying to grow into becoming SEC quarterbacks, but they're having to do so against a defense that figures to give most quarterbacks problems all season long. The quarterback battle is important and will certainly have an impact on how the 2023 season goes for Alabama.

Pay attention to it and monitor it. Just don't let it overshadow the fact the Alabama defense will most likely be the backbone of the team. .