Ahead of the 2026 season, Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are still undecided between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell for the position of field general, despite the fact that many college football programs already know who their next anointed starter under center will be this fall.
This conundrum comes after seeing 2025 starter Ty Simpson command the Crimson Tide huddle on offense for a season before declaring for the NFL Draft. Simpson’s empty seat now leaves DeBoer and staff left to figure out exactly which talented passer in the program can successfully take over in the fall.
Despite the Crimson Tide fanbase already voicing their opinions and takes as to why Mack or Russell has the goods to eventually do so, DeBoer is still noncommittal to either arm in the early stages of this offseason. Instead, the third-year Alabama coach wants the two to battle it out this spring, summer, and fall, giving the Tide their third QB battle in as many seasons. While making this evident Thursday night to reporters in Montgomery, DeBoer still didn’t shy away when dropping subtle gems on what exactly it will require for either Mack or Russell to successfully earn the reins of being Alabama’s next starting QB.
“I would say that you always love going into a season where you absolutely know who your quarterback is, but that won’t be the case,” DeBoer stated. “We’ll let these people fight it out. Both of them have been in our system for at least a year and are aware of our goals. This year, we’ll alter what we do based on their talents and what our other staff members are capable of. However, Austin, who is in his fourth year, is undoubtedly familiar with the method. Additionally, Keelon has demonstrated his abilities by competing as a true freshman and accomplishing other outstanding things. It’s simply a question of who can move the ball up and down the field the best for us now that these guys have what it takes.”
Austin Mack vs. Keelon Russell will be a tight QB battle for Alabama
DeBoer’s evaluation of Mack and Russell is accurate, particularly after a season in which both quarterbacks showed off their skills in scant opportunities. When Mack was forced to play against Indiana, the eventual national champions, this promising play was last witnessed. The redshirt sophomore quarterback completed 11 of his 16 ball attempts for 103 yards. Many were optimistic about what the 6-foot-6, 235-pound native of California could contribute in the future because of the small sample size, his success against lesser opponents like Louisiana Monroe, where he connected on 8 of 10 passes for two touchdowns, and his flawless 5 for 5 performance against Eastern Illinois for 45 yards.
The same can be said for Russell, who arrived at Alabama as the highest-rated recruit in school history and appears to already be an early fan favorite. After dominating that same Louisiana Monroe defense in garbage time during his debut and passing for 65 yards and two touchdowns on four of his six throws, the Duncanville, Texas native seems capable of playing up to his reputation. Later that season, Russell’s second outing in a Crimson Tide jersey, in which he passed for 78 yards on 7 of 9 passes, capped up this encouraging showing.
However, the most important question this offseason will be whatever candidate can convince DeBoer and Ryan Grubb, the second-year Tide offensive coordinator, that they are the best candidates to take over this autumn. Before Alabama football officially takes the field to begin their season against Eastern Carolina at home under the lights of Saban-Field at Bryant Denny stadium on September 5th, all Crimson Tide supporters will be thinking about this question and the reality of how long it will take for one to clearly rise above the other for the next six and a half months.
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