The Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off their worst season in almost two decades, failing to win double-digit games for the first time since 2007—Nick Saban’s first season in charge. There are numerous questions surrounding the team as they prepare to enter the second year of the Kalen DeBoer era, none of which are bigger than speculating who will be the Crimson Tide’s quarterback going forward.
Alabama has had an abundance of star quarterbacks for roughly a decade now. The days of the Crimson Tide being led by their defense and running game are firmly in the past and, as one would expect, they are unlikely to come back in the future given the modern college football landscape. Finding the right quarterback will be at the forefront of Alabama’s offseason to-do list.
Can Alabama Find A Quarterback Befitting Of Their Usual Standard?
Dating back to 2016, the Crimson Tide’s quarterback play has been among the best in the entire country. This trend started with Jalen Hurts who is less than a week away from starting in his second Super Bowl in the last three seasons. Hurts was followed up by Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Bryce Young—all of whom would end up being drafted within the top 15 picks in their respective draft years.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama’s latest star quarterback, declared for the NFL Draft just two days after the team’s 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Milroe is currently viewed as the potential third quarterback to come off the board in the upcoming draft in April. Milroe’s dynamic playmaking ability will be greatly missed and certainly hard to replace.
As things stand right now, there is a great deal of uncertainty when it comes to figuring out who will be next in line at QB for the Crimson Tide. There are currently three names on the roster who are expected to battle it out for the job: Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell.
Breaking Down The Three Options
Of course, we will not be given any real hint at who will be Alabama’s next QB until spring practice begins. And even then, an official starter will likely not be named until we are close to the start of the season. Nevertheless, we can still take a look at each of the presumed options.
Ty Simpson is the oldest and most experienced of the group. He is a redshirt junior who has been at Alabama since 2022. Simpson was among the contenders to replace Bryce Young back in 2023, alongside the likes of Tyler Buchner and Jalen Milroe, the latter of whom obviously ended up winning the job. As a former five-star recruit, one would imagine that Simpson has enough talent to fill the role.
Option number two is Austin Mack, a redshirt sophomore who followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington. Mack is more familiar with DeBoer’s system than either of his counterparts, which could make things interesting. However, Mack has only attempted a total of three passes in his college career, making him a relative unknown.
Lastly, there is Keelon Russell, a true freshman who was ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in 2025, according to 247Sports. Russell’s high school statistics were impressive, throwing 90 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions in his two years as a starter for Duncanville (TX). Russell also led Duncanville to its’ second consecutive state championship in 2023.
We can probably give a slight edge to Simpson due to his experience, but that can only count for so much. He will ultimately have to prove that he is the best option out of the three. Russell may also have a decent shot at earning the job despite being a true freshman. As a dual threat QB, his skill set closely resembles that of Jalen Milroe. Could that end up factoring into Kalen DeBoer’s decision?
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