Kalen DeBoer has one shot to unleash Keelon Russell in 2025

Kalen DeBoer took to the podium at SEC Media Days on Wednesday, and every chance he got, he reiterated that while Ty Simpson would be Alabama’s QB1 if the Tide had a game today, the QB battle is still open heading into fall camp. 

To hold onto the distinction, Simpson must beat out Austin Mack, who followed DeBoer from Washington last offseason, and Keelon Russell, the No. 2 QB in the 2025 high school class. 

This week could be the only chance for Kalen DeBoer to hand the reins to Keelon Russell

While Simpson himself is a former five-star recruit, it seems as though DeBoer is giving his own five-star QB, Keelon Russell, every opportunity to win the job in his true freshman season. And why wouldn’t he? Russell is the superior athlete with a remarkable arm and ability to create plays outside the structure of the offense. He may not be as polished at this point in his career, but he brings much more to the table than Simpson ever will. 

DeBoer needs to make the College Football Playoff in Year 2 of his tenure; this is an explicit requirement of the job. That pressure could force him to lean on the quarterback with the higher floor, which is undoubtedly the redshirt junior whom he has been hesitant to name his QB1. However, if DeBoer watches Simpson for a few weeks and decides that the ceiling isn’t high enough with him at the controls, he had better act quickly because the window to throw out a freshman starting QB in Alabama’s schedule closes very quickly. 

The Tide opens the year on the road at Florida State, then hosts UL Monroe and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks. That’s likely a 3-0 start and unlikely to reveal the limits of Simpson’s ability. Then, after a bye in Week 4, Alabama goes on the road to Athens, and that is the game when DeBoer, Ryan Grubb, and Nick Sheridan must decide if they’re sticking with Ty Simpson for the rest of the year or not. 

After playing Georgia on the road, Alabama hosts Vanderbilt, visits Missouri, and hosts Tennessee on the Third Saturday in October. You would prefer to give a young quarterback his first start at home and provide him with a significant runway before thrusting him into a major SEC road environment, and that three-game window, especially with Tennessee expecting a down year after Nico Iamaleava transferred away in the spring, is the only chance to provide Russell with one. 

The Vanderbilt matchup is compounded by last year’s upset in Nashville, but even with Diego Pavia back for another season, the Commodores are still the softest SEC opponents on Bama’s schedule. If Russell doesn’t start in Week 6 against Vandy, he should remain on the bench for the remainder of the year because the schedule heats up after Tennessee comes to Tuscaloosa. 

In my opinion, Russell gives Alabama’s 2025 offense its highest ceiling, and for a team with national championship aspirations, a high ceiling should be valued greater than a safe floor. Still, if Russell doesn’t get his opportunity early, it’s probably best to let him sit until 2026 rather than risk stunting his development by throwing him on the field in a hostile environment or against an elite-level SEC opponent. Not every freshman QB is Tua.