For the last three seasons, the Alabama quarterback room has included kin to program royalty, with Bear Bryant's great-grandson, Paul Tyson, lined up alongside other Crimson Tide signal-callers. That connection came to an end recently when Tyson entered the transfer portal shortly after the national championship loss to Georgia. On Sunday, he named Arizona State as his intended destination.
A 6-foot-5, 228-pound pro-style quarterback with a big arm, Tyson he did not see significant action during his first two years with the program after showing up as a four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. During the 2021 season, he took over as the primary holder on field goals and PAT attempts and closed out out a couple nonconference wins as the backup to Bryce Young.
Tyson was rated as the No. 12 player in the state of Alabama and an all-state selection at the 7A level, but with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner well-entrenched as QB1, it's understanding that he's pursuing opportunities elsewhere. Tyson was one of 11 Alabama players to enter the transfer portal either during or after the 2021 season.
Arizona State does seem to have its own QB situation settled for 2022 after three-year starter Jayden Daniels announced he would be back for a senior season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft, but Tyson's move may be more focused on opportunities further in the future. In his transfer announcement, Tyson noted that with the COVID eligibility waiver, he'll arrive in Tempe with three years of eligibility remaining.
Tyson's commitment also marks the second time in the last two months that Arizona State offensive coordinator Zak Hill has landed a quarterback commitment from the state of Alabama. Bennett Meredith was a three-star prospect coming out of Hoover High School in Birmingham, Ala., and in the Early Signing Period chose Arizona State over Maryland, Northwestern and others.