Only one quarterback can be on the field at a time. It has been something Kalen DeBoer has had to navigate since coming over to Alabama from Washington. He inherited Jalen Milroe in 2024. After he turned pro, it was Ty Simpson's turn to run the offense in 2025. Now that he became a first-rounder, it will be either Austin Mack or Keelon Russell leading the Crimson Tide out of the tunnel this season.
DeBoer offered the following on it while speaking at an alumni event in Huntsville earlier in the week.
"They push each other. The quarterbacks have seen how even going back to Milroe, and just the hours that he put in. Ty did the same thing. Just that commitment to your habits and your actions are what really speaks the loudest. And Ty did that through being there early, staying in late, being a great teammate. It was never about him. It was about us being the best we can be as a football team."
The big key why Alabama has remained such a quarterback factory is in how they recruit prospects.
"These guys have seen that. It's in them anyway because that's who they were when we recruited them. Just asking them to take it to another level, which they're capable of."
It is more than just next man up with Simpson off to the NFL; these guys are ready for their chance.
Kalen DeBoer recruits the right players to play QB at Alabama for him
Talent is something, but it is not everything. When it comes to a place like Alabama, you will more likely than not have to wait your turn for meaningful playing time on fall Saturdays for the Crimson Tide. Whether it be Milroe, Simpson, or now Mack and Russell, none of them were first-year starters under center for Alabama. They all paid their dues before being inserted into the starting lineup.
Like Milroe, Simpson was a holdover from the Nick Saban era. Mack followed DeBoer from Seattle to Tuscaloosa when he took over the program back in 2024. Russell was a well-thought-of recruit who committed and signed to play for this staff. He was a big fan of Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb coming out of high school. So will it be Mack or Russell? DeBoer knows he is in good hands.
Mack may be the physical specimen, while Russell is the blue-chipper Alabama grabbed out of high school. Surely, both will play some this season. Football is a game of injuries after all. However, who DeBoer ultimately decides to go with will determine if the Crimson Tide will once again be playoff viable. They need to make the 12-team field again this year, probably going a step further than last.
DeBoer is buoyed by his players because they believe in him, but he also knows how to pick his guys.
Add us as a preferred source on Google