Alabama football salvaged what was headed for a very disappointing season in 2025, coming back to beat Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
However, the good times did not last long for Kalen DeBoer and company, as they were blown out 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. Now, Ty Simpson is off to the NFL, and DeBoer has a lot of work to do as he tries to rebuild his roster for next season.
While Alabama will always have a talented roster at most positions, there is one spot on the roster that is not finalized heading into the summer. That is at quarterback, where Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are fighting for the starting job.
On Tuesday, DeBoer talked about the competition and the confidence that he has in both guys to get the job done if called upon.
Kalen DeBoer answers questions about Ryan Williams, Alabama’s quarterbacks, offensive line and more in Mobile: pic.twitter.com/uyxdIGSdlL
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) June 16, 2026
“I think it’s everything,” DeBoer said. “It’s not just about those practices, it’s about what you see each and every day. We’ve got two great leaders and so, it has to be that way. I know that the respect by the team is what it needs to be. They believe in these guys as quarterbacks on the field. They also really love who these guys are as people off the field and they’re great teammates. … The competition is strong right now and it’s going to be that way through the fall.”
Russell is a former five-star recruit who got a ton of hype when he was coming into Alabama, but he never got into second on the depth chart as a true freshman in 2025. Mack served as the backup and even got some reps in that Rose Bowl loss after Simpson left the game with an injury.
That would make it seem like Mack has the upper hand, and maybe he does. But Russell is ultra-talented and is certainly capable of stealing that starting spot when fall camp rolls around. Either way, DeBoer and Alabama are under a ton of pressure to get back to contending for a national title this season, making this a critical decision.
Alabama football salvaged what was headed for a very disappointing season in 2025, coming back to beat Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff. However, the good times did not last long for Kalen DeBoer and company, as they were blown out 38-3 in the Rose Bowl.
