TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not play in the Crimson Tide’s 2018 A-Day Game tomorrow due to a hand injury. But the sophomore southpaw’s absence will not affect the rest of his teammates, Nick Saban said after Thursday’s practice.

All but one teammate, that is.

With Tagovailoa out, redshirt freshman Mac Jones now assumes a larger role in the final spring scrimmage as the No. 2 quarterback. And he will look to cap a productive spring -- his second in an Alabama uniform.

“I think Mac made a lot of progress because he got a lot more reps,” Saban said.

The first-team offense will face the first-team defense inside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the annual spring game, and the quarterback with the ones will obviously be junior Jalen Hurts. But Jones will have an opportunity to lead the second-team offense against the twos on the defensive side of the football.

A former 3-star recruit from Jacksonville, Fla., Jones performed well as the third quarterback for most of the spring, but he will have a chance at some invaluable experience in the nationally televised scrimmage with Tagovailoa out. And experience is always beneficial.

Whether an injury occurs, like the one we’ve documented ad nauseam this spring, or a player transfers, like Hurts’ father suggested he will if he doesn’t win the starting job, Jones could be the first option off the bench for Alabama this fall. So, he will need to be ready.

“I think Mac had made a lot of improvement,” Saban said. “He’s a guy that has to mature in terms of -- he’s very competitive. When you’re the quarterback, how does what I’m doing affect my unit? So, when things don’t go well, you can’t always show your emotions, show your disappointment. You have to be positive, like ‘We’re going to get them on the next play.’ That’s a part of his leadership we have to continue to work on.

“But he’s made more and more good plays. We feel really good about his development. We’re just trying to get him to focus on being the best player that he can be, because he’s going to be in position this year where he’s not going to be far away from having to play.”

The Bolles (Fla.) School product performed well in the Tide’s first scrimmage two weeks ago, although linebacker Terrell Lewis said he took some shots from the first-team defense.

“There was one play he got hit by like three people,” Lewis said with a chuckle. “One person hit him and banged into the other person. It was like a pinball machine or something.”

But the second-year signal caller is still standing and will look to better his numbers from last year when he threw two interceptions and completed 5-of-11 passes for only 45 yards.

This spring, he will also likely have an increased role as the holder on field goals, as he held for placekicker Joseph Bulovas in a 4-for-5 performance in the first spring scrimmage.

Having a year in the program and learning under new quarterbacks coach Dan Enos, Jones has shown signs of improvement after joining the Crimson Tide program last February.

“He’s making a lot of progress,” safety Deionte Thompson said of Jones. “He’s been doing a good job this whole spring.”

The quarterback discussion has focused on Hurts and Tagovailoa this spring as they are the only two quarterbacks that saw the field in 2017. But with Tagovailoa’s hand setback, Jones will now be thrust into the spotlight in the final practice of the 2018 spring season.

Whatever has been said about Alabama’s quarterback competition or controversy or whatever you prefer to call it outside of the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, the trio of scholarship signal callers have ignored it, according to teammates, and focused on improving.

And that has always, but now more than ever, included Jones.

“I think it’s been nothing but positive, to be honest,” center Ross Pierschbacher said of the quarterbacks. “Even interacting in the locker room, they’ve all been friendly about it, civil. There’s not butting heads or anything, so that’s been good to see.

“I think all three are handling it very maturely. The team recognizes that and responds well, and it’s just like ‘We’re going to go out there and do our job, and you guys go out there.’ It’s been fun to see.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).