- Tua Tagovailoa came into the national championship down 13-0 in the second half as a true freshman and beat Georgia 26-23.
- A.J. McCarron won two national championships.
- Mac Jones holds the NCAA record for yards per pass attempt at 11.0.
Since 2015, there’s arguably been no college football program more dominant than the Alabama Crimson Tide.
While their defence and rushing attacks have helped, all of those teams, including the six that have won a national title since 2015, have needed a quarterback to lead the way.
Today, football betting on the Crimson Tide’s NCAAF odds is available at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
Below, I’ll rank the best Crimson Tide quarterbacks of all time.
For more on Alabama’s best, see my list of the top Crimson Tide football players of all time.
5 Best Alabama Crimson Tide Quarterbacks, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Crimson Tide Years |
| 1 | Tua Tagovailoa | 2017-2019 |
| 2 | A.J. McCarron | 2010-2013 |
| 3 | Mac Jones | 2018-2020 |
| 4 | Bryce Young | 2020-2022 |
| 5 | Joe Namath | 1961-1964 |
Alabama Crimson Tide All-Time Greatest Quarterbacks
1. Tua Tagovailoa
While Tagovailoa had a phenomenal two-year run with Alabama in 2018 and 2019, what he did in so little action in 2017 as a true freshman was remarkable.
That season, he saw time here and there, attempting 77 passes and throwing for 636 yards, 11 touchdowns, and two picks.
That said, Jalen Hurts was the starting quarterback and led them to a national championship appearance.
While Hurts got them there, he was ineffective in the first half of that title game, and the team was down 13-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Tagovailoa came in and completed 14 of 24 passes for 166 yards, three touchdowns and an interception to rally Alabama to a 26-23 win.
As the starter, he won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, was a consensus All-American, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and first and second-team All-SEC.
He threw for 7,442 yards (fourth in program history) and 87 touchdowns (first) across 684 pass attempts in two-plus seasons.
2. A.J. McCarron
McCarron was Alabama’s quarterback from 2009 to 2013.
However, he redshirted in 2009 and didn’t see much action in 2010 with just 48 pass attempts.
McCarron was the starter from 2011 to 2013, during which he led Alabama to two national titles.
He also won the Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Kellen Moore Award, and was a first and third-team All-American.
He finished his career with 9,019 passing yards (first) and 77 passing touchdowns (third).
To me, the No. 1 spot between him and Tagovailoa is close, but Tagovailoa’s national title win and his offensive accomplishments, despite making almost 400 fewer pass attempts, made me lean toward Tua.
3. Mac Jones
Jones was at Alabama from 2017 to 2020, but redshirted his freshman season (2017) and had just 13 pass attempts in 2018.
Jones became the starter late in 2019 after Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury.
In 2020, he was fantastic. He completed 77.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four picks en route to a national title win.
That season, he also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, was a consensus All-American, and first-team All-SEC.
Jones also holds the NCAA record for yards per pass attempt at 11.0.
4. Bryce Young
Young was with Alabama from 2020 to 2022, but only started in his final two seasons.
He was part of the 2020 national title-winning team, but he was backing up Mac Jones.
In 2021, Young had a fantastic season, passing for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.
That season, he won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, and the Manning Award.
He was also named the Associated Press and Sporting News College Football Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American.
Over his short career, he threw for 8,356 yards (second) and 80 touchdowns (second).
His passing yards and passing touchdowns from 2021 are single-season records.
5. Joe Namath
Namath suited up for the Crimson Tide from 1961 to 1964.
While at Alabama, he led them to a national title win in 1964. That same season, he was first-team All-SEC.
Before that, he was second-team All-SEC in 1962 and 1963.
Namath’s coach, Bear Bryant, called him “the greatest athlete I ever coached.”
Who Was the Best Quarterback Ever for the Alabama Crimson Tide?
The best quarterback ever for the Alabama Crimson Tide was Tua Tagovailoa.
As a true freshman, he came in for a benched Jalen Hurts in the second half of the national championship game, down 13-0, and led them to a 26-23 win, earning him the Offensive MVP award.
Who Is the Winningest Quarterback in Alabama Crimson Tide History?
The winningest quarterback in Alabama Crimson Tide history is A.J. McCarron with 36 wins.
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