TUSCALOOSA - When redshirt freshman quarterback Phillip Sims is at the controls, Alabama's offense is in spectacular hands.

"He's one of the best players in the game," senior wide receiver Marquis Maze said.

So there you have it. Sims has the edge on redshirt sophomore AJ McCarron for the starting position this fall. Right?

Not quite. Maze was talking about video games.

"Phillip is one of the best players on NCAA College Football 2012," Maze said. "I guess being a quarterback, he knows how to read certain things."

Can those virtues in a virtual world transfer to game day on a real football field?

"I hope so," Maze said.

There seems to be no question that Sims has the tools to lead the Crimson Tide. But so does McCarron. They battled to a draw in spring practice, and if a winner emerges before the Sept. 3 opener against Kent State, it will be a surprise.

For now, Sims and McCarron are saying all of the right things, portraying the battle as friendly competition.

"It's been a lot of fun," Sims said. "Me and AJ have been good friends since I stepped on campus, so it makes it even better for us to compete against each other. We make each other better by competing with each other."

Teammates likewise are picking their words carefully when asked about the quarterbacks.

"A lot of people think differently, but they're really similar," senior tight end Brad Smelley said. "They're both drop-back passers. They both have good arms. They both make all the throws. I'm confident in both of them. We're not really concerned right now."

ALABAMA QBs

A three-part series on the three players who will see action in 2011:

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Tuesday: AJ McCarron

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Today:

Phillip Sims

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Thursday:

Blake Sims

The fact that McCarron already was on the roster as a highly touted quarterback didn't deter Sims from signing with Alabama in 2010. The Parade All-American enrolled that January and was redshirted last fall while McCarron received a little playing time backing up senior Greg McElroy.

Sims was 48-4 as a four-year starter at Oscar Smith High School in Cheasapeake, Va. He set state records with 10,725 yards passing and 119 touchdown passes in his career.

"I think I'm a pretty accurate quarterback, strong arm, pocket passer," Sims said. "I think I fit real well in our system as a pro-style offense. ... We have great athletes here, like Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks and DeAndrew White and guys like that. Getting the ball in those guys' hands is a quarterback's dream. So you get the ball out of your hand and into their hands as fast as possible."

During the summer, Sims said he has focused on reading defenses.

"As far as the physical attributes, if you're a college football quarterback, you pretty much can make any throw," he said. "The accuracy should be there by this point. You have to increase on your knowledge of the game and be able to read defenses.

"Every team's going to come out with a different game plan. You've got to be able to adjust week in and week out. I'm trying my hardest to adjust to picking up blitzes, hot routes, coverages, everything like that. It's the mental part that I have to improve right now."

If Alabama coaches go with a two-quarterback system throughout the season, Sims isn't going to complain.

"If that's what they have planned for us this season, if that what they think's going to win us a national championship, let's go get it," he said.

The buzz about the quarterback race has been building for months. Sims isn't trying to escape it.

"People are going to ask you questions about it no matter where you are," he said. "I think running from it is only going to make things worse. Just face it: It's a competition, and everybody wants to know what's going on. Just embrace it and keep rolling with it."

McElroy was characterized as a caretaker of the Tide's offense. Sims and McCarron are billed as potential playmakers.

"I think it's an unfair assessment," Sims said of McElroy. "He won a lot of football games. I don't think any quarterback can win football games by just going out there and not turning the ball over. You've got to make some kind of plays. ...

"I like to throw the ball vertical down the football field a little more, but I'm not going to say that makes me a playmaker and him a caretaker. ... It's the system we play in. It's prepared us to win some football games."

Sims' leadership style includes a sense of humor.

"He's a trash talker," senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson said. "He just makes fun of people. He keeps the competitive spirit going. People come in practice and are probably really tired. He's that pick-up person who can really get you going, get you laughing a little bit."