One of the main sources of doubt about Alabama among the sports pundit class is how well the Crimson Tide's inexperienced starting quarterback will perform. Given that combined Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have a college career total of 50 pass attempts, the question is not unfair.
The pair has the potential to become more than good. In a Kalen DeBoer- Ryan Grubb system, both Mack and Russell have an opportunity to be outstanding.
Don't take my word for optimism about the Crimson Tide duo; a more objective source agrees. Spenser Davis, writing for Saturday Down South, recently predicted the SEC's five leading passers for the 2026 season. Most of the names were not a surprise: Arch Manning at No. 1, Trinidad Chambliss at No. 2, Marcel Reed at No. 4, and Sam Leavitt at No. 5.
Davis provided a surprise at No. 3. He predicted it would be Keelon Russell. Not only is that great news for Crimson Tide fans, but it also gets better. Davis wrote, "I expect this to be Keelon Russell when all is said and done, but frankly, this is roughly where I’d project any Kalen DeBoer quarterback to be. Even if Austin Mack wins the job, he’d be very likely to finish in the top 5 in the SEC in passing yardage."
Davis cites previous passing production by DeBoer's quarterbacks as the main reason either Mack or Russell will be a highly productive passer.
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Alabama fans have been consistently bullish about the quarterback position. There are doubts about the offensive line, but plenty of optimism about Mack and even more about Keelon Russell. That an outsider agrees is welcome news.
Even if Davis is 100% accurate in predicting the SEC's five top passers, it will not mean that Alabama will win over Georgia, Texas A&M, and LSU. But if Davis is correct, the Crimson Tide would have a quarterback advantage over each of the teams.
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