While there's been no official word yet on Alabama's QB competition between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack, Ryan Grubb announced on Monday that the Crimson Tide was "close" to naming a starter and planned to do so early next week.
Ahead of today's second and final scrimmage of fall camp, it appears like a foregone conclusion that Russell is going to be named the starter, barring something unexpected happening later today. The scrimmage is more of a formality, merely confirming what everyone has seen in camp.
Russell is the guy.
Alabama fans took note of that during the A-Day scrimmage, and little has changed since then. On3's Pete Nakos and Chris Low are confident that Kalen DeBoer will name Russell the starter. Nakos predicted Russell with "high confidence" on Thursday, and Low sent out a message on X stating he believes DeBoer will name Russell the starter early next week:
Would expect Kalen DeBoer to name Keelon Russell the starter by early next week. He’s been excellent this preseason and gives Alabama more playmaking ability at the QB position. Throws a really nice ball. https://t.co/OToDxOvRgK
— Chris Low (@Clowfb) August 20, 2026
Keelon Russell appears to have a stranglehold on Alabama's QB competition
Nakos and Low's opinions on the QB race match what I felt after the last scrimmage based on what DeBoer said in his press conference. It has felt for a while now that Russell was ahead in the competition, but it was being extended further than needed to ensure Mack felt he was getting a fair shake at the job after bypassing the Transfer Portal in January to return and compete for the job.
And with Mack, Alabama will have one of the nation's top backup quarterbacks and a guy who will be one of the most sought-after signal-callers in the portal after the season. That's a luxury that a lot of teams don't have. If something happened to Russell, the coaching staff would have a lot of confidence in Mack to step in and get the job done.
Russell's talent is undeniable, and as much as the staff wanted to give Mack a chance to win the job, it was always going to be tough to bet against the phenom with a year of experience under his belt. Russell was a 5-star talent out of high school and the No. 2 player in the entire country in the 2025 recruiting class. It was always assumed that he would sit for a year and then take over in 2026 and beyond. That appears to be becoming a reality.
Russell increases the ceiling of the offense with his dual-threat ability. He's got the improvisation and escapability that guys like Bryce Young had in Tuscaloosa. It's natural for Russell. He combines that with unreal arm talent, and if he can avoid the pitfalls that sometimes befall young quarterbacks, he's got a chance to be as good, or better, than any quarterback in the country as a sophomore.
With an offensive line that has legitimate question marks, Russell's legs will be a necessary weapon.
Alabama still has a scrimmage later today, and a decision at QB might not be publicly made until next week. But at this point, it would be a major upset if Russell isn't named the starter for Week 1.
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