Alabama Fall Position Preview: Quarterbacks

By Brandon Foshee

Starting all over… again. That was the situation that Crimson Tide quarterbacks faced this past spring. A year ago at this time, Alabama fans were looking forward to the newest chapter of Alabama offensive football. John Parker Wilson, a talented young quarterback was gearing up for his junior campaign, and second full season as quarterback. Major Applewhite, a hot up and coming offensive coordinator, had sent expectations skyward as he was tapped by Nick Saban to take over the Tide’s offensive charge.

Things started off well, as the Tide raced out to a 3-0 start. Following two close back-to-back losses at the hands of Georgia and Florida State, the Tide rebounded to again win three in a row, culminating with a dominating victory over rival Tennessee, a game in which the offense clicked on all cylinders for the first time all season. However, little did Tide fans know that Saturday afternoon, that was as good as it was going to get, as Alabama limped home to a 6-6 regular season record.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the late season swoon was the inconsistent play of the offense, especially at quarterback. Wilson seemed to regress after the victory over Tennessee. He lost his pocket presence, made bad decisions, and committed costly turnovers. Following the eventual loss to Auburn, rumblings started to trickle out of Tuscaloosa that Major Applewhite and Nick Saban were not on the same page. Some fans began to wonder if Wilson was the right player to lead Alabama’s offense. What started as such a promising offense was turning out to be a significant weakness.

The offense rebounded in the Independence Bowl against Colorado, but again, while Wilson showed flashes of brilliance, he also showed the lack of consistency and the ability to sustain at a high level of play that plagued him late in the season. The damage was done. While Saban defended his quarterback to the media and gave him numerous votes of confidence, behind the scenes, the same could not be said for Major Applewhite. While he was, and is, a promising young coordinator, he just did not deliver the things that Saban was wanting out of him, and a change was in store.

After the bowl game Applewhite departed, heading back to his alma mater, the University of Texas. Saban went back to the Rolodex, and for the second time in 2 years, he was searching for an offensive coordinator/quarterback coach. The search ended when Fresno State’s seasoned offensive coordinator Jim McElwain accepted the position and headed east.

This past spring, it was a fresh start. A do-over. John Parker Wilson (6-2, 213)

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