Who's in Alabama's QB battle before the 2026 season? Plus, Kalen DeBoer's thoughts
The Tide will be without Ty Simpson.
Who's in Alabama's QB battle before the 2026 season? Plus, Kalen DeBoer's thoughts originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
One of the biggest questions for Alabama going into the 2026 season is who will be under center? Ty Simpson heading to the NFL means the quarterback competition between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell is about to heat up. Kalen DeBoer recently shared the timeline for a decision on who starts this upcoming season.
As we know either Mack or Russell will be coming in as a first-year starter. The Crimson Tide coach explained to Josh Pate this comes down to leadership. “We declared Ty (Simpson) the starter a little bit earlier than I would’ve anticipated a year ago.
We’re always talking about it," DeBoer said . “But Keelon and Austin, and the respect – really, the way they appear to care for each other, and I think it’s pretty genuine. They’ve got me fooled if it’s not, in a big way.