1. Who Replaces Tua Tagovailoa?

Mac Jones

We’re not far removed from 2018 when Alabama’s quarterback battle (Jalen Hurts vs. Tua Tagovailoa) provided the centerpiece discussion point of the offseason. Mac Jones vs. the field won't have the same pull nationally. But it’s still compelling. Talent is never lacking in Tuscaloosa, and that remains the case even after a trio of likely first-round picks depart on offense. Alabama brings back 80 percent of its o-line, a pair of stellar receivers (Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith) and a standout running back (Najee Harris). Alabama even kept its offensive coordinator in place for the first time since Lane Kiffin's third year in 2016.

That leads us to quarterback, which will determine just how aggressively that talent can be utilized. Jones is the favorite. The redshirt-junior-to-be started in Tagovailoa’s place late in the season, throwing for a combined 662 yards, seven touchdowns and a 65.6 completion percentage against Auburn and Michigan. Both of those defenses finished the year in the top 17 nationally. Thing is … the No. 1 overall player in the 2020 Top247, Bryce Young, has entered the chat. Young, a dominant high school passer at a California power, is the most-ready-to-play freshman signal caller in the country. Jones has the experience. Young likely provides the offense a higher ceiling. Those two, along with Taulia Tagovailoa, will compete through the spring and then some …

“Despite his place as the SEC’s top-rated returning passer (in terms of passer rating), Jones won’t have the spotlight to himself this spring,” BamaOnline Senior Analyst Travis Reier said. “Jones will have to share the stage with Young, whose arrival has been met with the same kind of anticipation as Tua Tagovailoa’s in 2017. Speaking of Tua, the upcoming stretch will be a defining one for younger brother Taulia, who will look to maintain contact with the top spot as spring moves along. The only certainty is Nick Saban won’t be in a hurry to name a starter. In the era of the transfer portal, he has zero motivation to prevent the competition from carrying into fall camp – and perhaps the season as well."