He is happy for the opportunity to be the offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama, but Tommy Rees is not quick to reflect upon emotions.
The 30-year-old has gotten to work and has a challenge to develop a quarterback room.
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He excelled at molding signal callers at Notre Dame, helping his Alma mater as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2017 to 2022. Rees now has Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, and Tyler Buchner to prepare in a competition. Alabama has five scholarship quarterbacks, but fans have their attention on Milroe, Simpson, and Buchner for the starting job. Rees is not going to change the offense, but he intends on developing a good quarterback room. He stated the significance to reporters about Buchner joining the Tide in the summer from the transfer portal. Buchner, a transfer from Notre Dame, brings experience at the position.
“When he went into the portal, we looked for an opportunity to add competition to the room,” Rees said about Buchner.
“I think competition at all positions will bring out the best in individuals. It is going to add an extra layer of development, allow people to rise with the competition, and I think one thing we are trying to get the whole quarterback group to understand is when one guy has success, we need to look at it as shared success. We want to leave practice saying, ‘the quarterback group had a good day.’ The other thing we want to see is when one quarterback has success it challenges the rest of the group. When we can do that, it is going to raise the level of play in the room. We don’t want to look at it and shy away from it, but we want to improve the group.”
Rees recruited Buchner out of high school in California and spent two years with him at Notre Dame. He has talented, but Buchner is still learning the system at Alabama. Rees has been impressed by Milroe and Simpson wanting to remain in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) and compete, despite Buchner coming in from the portal. Rees said both have improved since the spring.
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“There has been an extra buy-in since spring ball ended,” Rees said. “I think it shows a great amount of character and competitiveness for those two guys, but it also shows a love for their teammates and a love for being here. It speaks volumes about the program that guys want to stay here. I think it is really special that in this age of college football, especially at the quarterback position when guys are so eager to leave, that two guys looked at an opportunity to stay here, care about their teammates, and continue to improve. We are trying to build as healthy of a room as we can, and they understand that competition can bring out the best in them. They have been great throughout the entire process. I do not expect that to change.”
No one has separated in the competition after three practices, but Nick Saban and Rees are not worried.
Alabama begins its first full week of fall camp on Monday. It will be exciting to see who emerges as the staring quarterback and how Rees develops the room.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
