2 Alabama QB targets outplay Alabama’s newest QB commit at Day 1 of Elite 11 Finals

After an extensive search, Kalen DeBoer finally added a quarterback to his 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday, flipping four-star Jett Thomalla from his Iowa State commitment. Tuesday also happened to be the first day of the Elite 11 Finals, with all three of Alabama’s primary 2026 QB targets in attendance: Thomalla, Matt Ponatoski, and Bryson Beaver

It was only Day 1, but according to the media outlets in attendance on Tuesday, Thomalla was the least impressive of the trio. If that trend continues, it could leave Alabama fans wondering if DeBoer ended up with the right quarterback in the 2026 class, and if the Tide will surrender their pursuit of Ponatoski and Beaver. 

Matt Ponatoski and Bryson Beaver impress after Jett Thomalla joins Alabama’s 2026 class

Quarterback was never the top priority in this recruiting cycle for the Tide after landing five-star Keelon Russell last year. Though Ty Simpson is the frontrunner to win the starting job in 2025, Russell is clearly the future of the program and will overshadow any QB who arrives the year after. 

Thomalla, if he remains the only QB in the 2026 class, will likely redshirt, and assuming Russell lives up to his billing as one of the most talented prospects in recent years, won’t see an opportunity to compete for the job in Tuscaloosa until at least the 2028 season because 2028 is the earliest that Russell will be eligible for the NFL Draft. 

So, while the 2026 QB class won’t determine the future of the Crimson Tide, it was still important for DeBoer to add depth at the position because Russell’s imminent ascent could lead the other quarterbacks on the roster to scatter into the transfer portal. Simpson will have another year of eligibility after the 2025 season, which he could spend elsewhere, and Austin Mack, who followed DeBoer from Washington, has only attempted three passes in his career as he enters his redshirt sophomore season. 

It can feel like playing out multiple hypotheticals with many compounding factors, but that’s exactly how college football coaches have to think when constructing their recruiting classes with an eye to the future of their roster. 

So, if DeBoer is expecting Russell to win the job in 2026, forcing Simpson and Mack to transfer, which feels entirely possible, it could be worthwhile for Bama to add another 2026 QB, likely either Beaver or Ponatoski. Maybe the Elite 11 Finals will serve as their proving ground as they battle for a spot in Tuscaloosa.