On Saturday, Alabama officially named Keelon Russell the starting quarterback. The former 5-star recruit beat out senior Austin Mack for the job in a competitive battle. It was undoubtedly a disappointment for Mack, who will now spend his fourth straight college season on the bench. It's the second straight offseason in which he came up short in the Crimson Tide's QB competition.
You could have forgiven Mack for being a bit down. And I'm sure he was. But it's not something he let show in front of the team, and it's not something that he allowed to impact the work and preparation he continues to put in.
Kalen DeBoer praised Mack for his attitude and leadership in the aftermath of losing out to Russell for the starting gig.
"His car was, if not the first, one of the first here the next day," DeBoer said. "It’s just who he is. He’s an extremely hard worker. This guy is a phenomenal quarterback. To me, he didn’t lose anything. He didn’t fail in any way.
..."He’s invested so much into it just as a human being, and the human aspect side of it is going to hurt. But he’s gonna be ready when he needs to be. A helmet comes off, he’s got to be ready to make a play on a fourth down, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from him because that’s who he is as a person and he’s a great football player, too.”
Austin Mack's attitude deserves a lot of praise in the aftermath of losing the Alabama QB competition
Mack is a guy that Alabama has a lot of confidence in to go out and win football games. He's a quality quarterback. He'll be one of the top backups in college football this season. Russell just happens to be a truly special player who wasn't going to be denied in the competition this offseason.
But Alabama will need Mack to stay ready. He's one play away from being thrust into action, and it's obvious from his immediate response that he's going to be ready if his number is ever called.
You can tell, based on listening to DeBoer discuss the QB competition, that this was not an easy decision. From a personal standpoint, it was agonizing for him and the rest of the coaching staff. Mack has been with them for going on four years now. He followed the staff from Washington with the idea that he would one day be the starting QB in this offense.
It's not easy to tell that guy he's not going to start. There's a loyalty there that you naturally want to reward.
But this is a business at the end of the day. DeBoer's job is to win football games, first and foremost. He, and the rest of the Tide's staff, clearly believe that Russell puts them in the best position to do that and to compete for a national title. That's why he was the choice.
And that's not to take anything away from Mack. He's a quality player, and he'll command a ton of interest in the Transfer Portal after the season as he looks to capitalize on his final season of eligibility.
Along with his talent on the field, Mack's attitude and leadership will make him all the more intriguing for teams in need of a QB.
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