Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama was in an intense QB battle last year before Ty Simpson emerged as the starter. One year later, Simpson is preparing for his rookie NFL season, and not much has changed for DeBoer. Keelon Russell and Austin Mack, who were part of the battle last year, are again fighting for the role, as DeBoer hasn’t yet declared a QB1. However, a Bama legend already has his QB1 in mind.

“I’m looking forward to Keelon Russell at Alabama,” Bama’s 2009 Heisman winner, Mark Ingram, said on the Triple Option podcast. “They haven’t announced a QB1 yet, but I think he kind of has the upper hand right now. We have Austin Mack as well. Tall, physical guy, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that competition plays out at Alabama.”

After Simpson unexpectedly departed for the NFL following just one season as Bama’s starting QB1, DeBoer didn’t look outside for a replacement. Austin Mack had already followed the head coach from Washington and knows Ryan Grubb’s schemes well. Keelon Russell, on the other hand, was the No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class, only behind Michigan’s Bryce Underwood. Now, months after battling for the role, Russell has the upper hand in the battle.

Russell first stood out at Alabama’s spring practices and the final A-Day game. He completed 21 of his 33 passes for 240 yards, throwing four touchdowns and an interception. Since Mack was limited in the game due to injury, he couldn’t play enough snaps. In the few snaps he did feature, Mack went 6-for-12 for 101 yards, throwing an interception. Head coach Kalen DeBoer immediately signaled confidence in Russell but didn’t announce a winner.

“I think the hype is exciting, if that’s the case, with the excitement for how Keelon played,” DeBoer said about Russell after the spring game on Tide 100.9. “I mean, he did. He’s taking advantage of his opportunities, and that’s what you want. There’s a lot that goes into the quarterback position, but playmaking is obviously a big part of it, and you can see what he’s capable of. He got more of an opportunity in the spring game, and so he took advantage of it.”

In 2026, Alabama faces a tough challenge as DeBoer enters his third season in Tuscaloosa. On3‘s Chris Low recently released his top-10 SEC QB ratings, and Bama was nowhere on the list. The major reason people aren’t confident about Bama is that the roster is relatively young. It is ranked 117th in average age. That shows through the inexperience of projected starters like Jackson Lloyd, Keelon Russell, and Kaleb Edwards.

Kalen DeBoer’s latest update about the QB1 battle

If Austin Mack wins the battle, Alabama will have a QB with more experience and a “high-floor” profile than Russell. Mack also appeared in four games last season, completing 24 of his 32 passes for 228 yards. Before that, the former 4-star Washington recruit also had some snaps in the 2024 season, serving behind Jalen Milroe. Moreover, Mack’s high school stats of 3,498 passing yards as a senior at 70.4% accuracy show that he can handle pressure well.

“I think this one’s probably a little more typical of most quarterback competitions,” Kalen DeBoer said about the QB1 battle last month. “Last year… we really, truly did want to give Keelon as much opportunity to grow in his first year. This year, we’ve got two amazing young men who battle, but they’re leading the team together without worrying about stepping on each other’s toes.”

Despite DeBoer’s hesitancy to name a clear starter entering fall camp, many still project Keelon Russell as the QB1. Last month, CBS reported that Russell is currently the “slight favorite” in the QB1 battle in Tuscaloosa. In all, the former 5-star recruit offers dual-threat skills and passed for 4,177 yards in his senior season in high school. He also rushed for 321 yards for 3 TDs.