The end of the McCarron era: Alabama searches for a new QB

The shadow AJ McCarron casts over the Alabama football program looms large. He left the school as the owner of virtually every passing record, leading the Crimson Tide in career completions (686), yards (9019) and touchdowns (77), while guiding Alabama to back-to-back consensus national championships in 2011 and 2012. 

Once he grabbed the reins, all they did was win.

He entered the 2011 campaign, his sophomore season, as the co-starting quarterback with Phillip Sims, but quickly wrestled the starting position away from the redshirt freshman. With McCarron under center, the Crimson Tide posted a 12-1 record and stunned No. 1 ranked LSU 21-0, to win the BCS National Championship (He was named the game's offensive MVP).

Alabama rolled to another BCS Championship in 2012, with McCarron bombing for 2,933 yards and 30 touchdowns against only three interceptions. Video game type numbers for a quarterback who was piling up wins in his first two seasons as the starter.

Although a devastating loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl prevented Alabama from capturing a third straight BCS title in 2013, McCarron continued his assault on the Crimson Tide record books, finishing the season with 3,063 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes while placing second in Heisman voting and becoming the program's winningest quarterback.

The point is (as obvious as it seems), the absence of McCarron leaves a gaping hole in Alabama's offense, and one of these players is expected to be his replacement.

Jacob Coker

Jake Coker, a transfer from Florida State, is considered the leading candidate for the vacant starting QB position. 

Going into his junior season, Coker is making the transition from backing up Heisman winner Jameis Winston at FSU to possibly replacing the best quarterback in Alabama's history. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Alabama native appeared in six games during the 2013 campaign, completing 18 passes for 250 yards and an interception before losing his season to torn knee cartilage on Nov. 9 against Wake Forest.

"Jacob is the only person I know that can throw off one leg better than anyone else," Jameis Winston told AL.com. "When you see him at practice, he loves to throw and he just had surgery on his knee. ... Me personally I think Jacob can go anywhere and start in any program."

Blake Sims

Blake Sims, who served as McCarron's backup for the past two seasons, is the only potential quarterback other than Coker to attempt a pass at the college level. 

Sims was a four star athlete coming out of high school according to 247Sports.com, and has fantastic mobility, as evidenced by his 2011 campaign when he was the Crimson Tide's backup running back.

In eight mop-up appearances in 2013, Sims, who must improve his passing skills if he hopes to compete for the starting position, completed 18 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

"I became much better than what I had been in past years and everything," Sims told the Tuscaloosa News after Alabama's 45-31 loss to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. "Just looking behind AJ and watching what AJ does, yeah, he's been a good teacher."

[Photo Courtesy: Studentsports.com]

David Cornwell

David Cornwell, a dark horse for the starting QB gig, is 6-foot-5, 240-pound four-star recruit out of Norman, Oklahoma.

Cornwell, who received scholarship offers from Kansas, Indiana, Auburn and Arkansas, only played five games due to a knee injury in his "second" senior high school season. In his "first" senior season (he was technically a junior because he received an extra year of eligibility due to family hardships), Cornwell threw for 2,742 yards and 27 touchdowns.

One of these men, or possibly Alec Morris, Cooper Bateman and Parker McLeod, will have the unenviable task of filling McCarron's gigantic shoes.