After going 9-4 in his first season in Tuscaloosa and just missing the cut for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the pressure is already ramping up in year two for Kalen DeBoer —and this time, it centers squarely around the quarterback position.
Last year, Alabama had Jalen Milroe under center. He was far from perfect but managed to steady the ship after some early-season turbulence. With Milroe now off to the NFL and drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, DeBoer finds himself navigating a much murkier quarterback battle.
The three main contenders? Former five-star redshirt junior Ty Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack (who followed DeBoer from Washington), and true freshman Keelon Russell. Each brings a different level of experience—and uncertainty—to the table.
Simpson, the presumed front-runner, has the most reps under his belt, completing 29 of 50 passes for 381 yards over three seasons. Mack has only thrown three career passes, while Russell hasn’t taken a snap in college yet. The Tide didn’t even hold a full scrimmage this spring, making it even tougher to evaluate where things truly stand.
And with the season opener looming—on the road in Tallahassee against a mystery Florida State team—there’s not much room for error.
That’s why college football analyst J.D. PicKell sent a bit of a warning DeBoer’s way.
“If you don't have a quarterback that can maximize your talent advantage on this roster, it's going to get really interesting,” PicKell said. “Also, whoever it is who is going to play quarterback will have their first road start, I believe at least, in a spot like this.”
Translation: Alabama may have a loaded roster, but that only gets you so far when you’re starting someone without big-game experience at QB.
This Is Kalen DeBoer's Biggest Decision Yet
Simpson may be leading the race, but he hasn’t locked it up. And even though Mack and Russell are behind him, DeBoer has shown in the past that he’s willing to roll with whoever gives him the best shot, regardless of the hype or recruiting stars.
Still, opening the season against Florida State—who has addressed some of the problems from last season and added Tony White, a rising star defensive coordinator—means there’s very little room for a learning curve.
Alabama fans are used to walking into every season expecting a Playoff berth. After falling short in 2024, DeBoer is already facing expectations to return the program to championship contention. And that journey starts with making the right call at quarterback.