Say what you want about Kalen DeBoer's tenure at Alabama right now and how you think it'll ultimately pan out in Tuscaloosa. One thing is abundantly clear, however:
Quarterback play is not going to be an issue at Alabama as long as DeBoer is manning the sidelines.
The 2026 season will be the first in which a DeBoer-recruited quarterback takes the reins for the Crimson Tide. That's not much of a concern, however, as the two primary contenders for the job are former 5-star Keelon Russell, who was the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, and Austin Mack, a former 4-star recruit who 247 had as the No. 73 overall player in 2023 despite reclassifying and entering college a year early.
And the proof is in the pudding with DeBoer's ability to develop players at the position. From Jake Haenar at Fresno State to Michael Penix at Washington to now Ty Simpson at Alabama. While he didn't recruit Simpson to Tuscaloosa, the recent No. 13 overall pick to the Rams looked night and day different from Nick Saban's final season to when he took over as Alabama's starter last year.
After Simpson's selection, DeBoer now has two first-round pick QBs to pitch to recruits. And he was already killing it on the recruiting trail before Simpson was picked.
After landing Russell in the 2025 class, Alabama added a second straight 5-star in Jett Thomalla in the 2026 cycle. On Saturday, DeBoer made it three in a row by beating out Georgia for 5-star Elijah Haven. It's a QB pipeline that no other school even comes close to touching right now:
Tallied all the programs who’ve landed a top 5 high school QB (per either Rivals or 247Sports) since Kalen DeBoer arrived in Tuscaloosa.
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) April 27, 2026
Alabama: 3
14 other programs: 1 a piece
Kalen DeBoer has built the nation's top QB room at Alabama
After many years of not having an NFL starting quarterback, Alabama has been pumping out pro signal callers at a historic rate.
After the Rams picked Simpson in the 1st Round, he became the sixth consecutive Tide starting quarterback to be taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, joining Jalen Hurts (2nd), Tua Tagovailoa (1st), Mac Jones (1st), Bryce Young (1st), and Jalen Milroe (3rd).
That streak doesn't appear to be in jeopardy of ending anytime soon.
If Russell lives up to the hype, he'll be a no-doubt first-round pick. After that, smart money is on the winner of the QB battle between Thomalla and Haven turning into a high draft pick, too.
There are some legitimate question marks about Alabama moving forward under DeBoer. QB play won't be one of them.
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