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Alabama Starting Quarterback News: Jacob Coker Looks on as Blake Sims Struggles in Spring Game

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Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban may not know whether to be disappointed in his quarterbacks or impressed by his offense following the team's spring game.

Blake Sims, a junior, has enjoyed successful spring practices and scrimmages, ESPN reported, but struggled on A-Day. A.J. McCarron, now an NFL Draft prospect, watched the game after being inducted to the team's Walk of Fame.

Sims threw for 178 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Sims, who played for the Crimson team, threw his only scoring strike on a 55-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.

Cooper Bateman, a four-star recruit who redshirted last year, threw for one touchdown and 156 yards, but he only completed 11 passes out of 24 attempts. Playing for the White team, Bateman's saving grace was two terrific completions of 30+ yards.

Alec Morris, the third quarterback in the race, was more valuable as a punter. He threw for nine yards and one interception, but he punted 15 times for an average distance of 38 yards.

"Blake had a really good spring and did a really good job in the scrimmages," Saban told reporters of the passer who backed up McCarron last year. "I thought... the game speeded up today and he tried to speed up with it, rather than just staying in his rhythm."

Also on hand to watch the spring game was Jacob Coker, a quarterback with two years of athletic eligibility waiting to get to Tuscaloosa. Coker played at Florida State last year behind Jameis Winston on the depth chart. He transferred to Alabama, but has to complete his degree at Florida State this spring before he can move to the Alabama campus.

"As I said all along, we recruited a guy," Saban said of Coker. "Blake knows this and Blake embraced the guy before the game. They're going to compete through the summer and through fall camp, and we'll see what we need to do at the position to have a guy be effective."

Sims and Coker are expected to be the favorites for the starting QB job, but neither is a true favorite. Either way, the Crimson Tide defense seems to be the well-oiled machine Saban has been accustomed to coaching.

"We did make some plays, but it wasn't really the consistency that you'd really like to see in the offense," Saban said. "But when you play against each other, what's good for one is not so good for the other. So you have to give the defense some credit."

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