After a spring where it didn't appear there was much separating Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, it appeared little would change during Saturday's A-Day scrimmage.
But things did change. And quickly.
Taking advantage of a dinged-up Austin Mack, which was revealed by Kalen DeBoer after the scrimmage, redshirt freshman Keelon Russell had a monster performance and may have surged ahead in the Alabama QB competition.
Whether DeBoer agrees or not remains to be seen, but for Alabama fans, the QB competition ended on Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Russell is the guy.
His star WR, Ryan Coleman-Williams, who had a strong spring in his own right, had the perfect description for Russell's spectacular A-Day performance:
“It feels like you’re playing a video game when 12’s in," Coleman-Williams said.
Keelon Russell may have taken the lead in Alabama's QB battle after A-Day
The numbers speak for themselves:
Russell: 21/33, 240 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT (+1 rush TD)
Mack: 6/12, 101 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
After Mack started the game with the first team offense against the first team defense and stalled, Russell got his first opportunity with the second team offense against the second team defense. He immediately led a touchdown drive.
Russell then got his opportunity with the ones, and nothing much changed. He led a touchdown drive, capped off by a touchdown pass to Lotzeir Brooks.
The former 5-star and No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 class made several eye-opening throws. While one scrimmage isn't going to end the Alabama QB competition completely, Russell made a strong final impression to close spring practice and enters the summer months as the favorite to win the job.
That's a stark change from the rest of the spring, where there had reportedly been little separation. That little separation made it appear that Mack was in the driver's seat based on seniority. All of that is out the window now.
Russell and his video game-like ability appear to have surged ahead in the battle. And if his developmental track continues the way it has, he's not going to give the job back.