Sure there are questions about who is going to replace Julio Jones as wide receiver, or how Trent Richardson will take over as the Crimson Tide’s number one running back. However, the one question on the mind of every Tide fan is, who is going to lead the team as quarterback?

Traditionally, playing quarterback at Alabama has always meant being more of a game manager who doesn’t make mistakes that cost the team, instead of being a playmaker who takes chances in the passing game.

That tradition will be on full display this season with the departure of veteran quarterback Greg McElroy, due to graduation, and no proven starter under center. Alabama will have three inexperienced underclassmen, AJ McCarron, Phillip Sims and Phillip Ely, competing to be the field general on offense. McCarron is the only player of the three who has any game experience.

With only three scholarship players at quarterback, head coach Nick Saban has even been experimenting with freshman Blake Sims, who was recruited as an athlete, at the quarterback position.

“You want to see guys show command in terms of their ability to manage the game,” Saban said. “You want to see that they have control of the huddle and the other people relative to their confidence in terms of what they are doing and how the other people around them believe in that position because that is critical. That’s a part of leadership, and it’s also a part of being able to execute.”

McCarron, a redshirt sophomore, has an advantage over Sims because he has more game experience, and he has been with the team longer and has had more time to learn the system. He is considered a strong-armed quarterback with good awareness and touch.

Sims could become the first black player to start at quarterback since Andrew Zow. Coming out of high school, Sims was one of the top recruits in his class. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked quarterback in his class, according to ESPNU and SuperPrep magazine. He possesses outstanding arm strength and excellent accuracy, as well as touch on his passes.

This is not the first time Saban has had to deal with losing a veteran quarterback during his tenure at the Capstone. After the 2008 season, the Crimson Tide had to replace former quarterback John Parker Wilson. Greg McElroy, who hadn’t started since high school at the time, was in the same situation as the players are in now. Running back Trent Richardson said this type of change can be tough on running backs.

“It’s a big difference when you switch quarterbacks, but at the same time, I believe that any quarterback we have could go start anywhere,” Richardson said. “They just have to make everyone else believe it. I will support whoever gets the job, but right now it’s up in the air.”

Richardson is right about the support that the new quarterback will receive, but that player will also have a lot of high expectations to live up to. Alabama fans, alumni and coaches demand a lot out of their teams. Saban said the players around the young quarterbacks will play a big role in their success.

“You have to be knowledgeable in terms of what the expectations of doing your job are and the standard that you can do it to,” Saban said. “That helps develop the confidence of people around you. I also think that it’s important for everybody around those guys to understand that it’s hard to play quarterback if everybody else is not doing what they are supposed to do. It becomes more difficult to make good decisions and judgments if the guys around them aren’t doing what they are supposed to.”