Alabama is still undecided at QB1. Both Keelon Russell and Austin Mack walked into fall camp with a real shot at taking the job. That’s why Kalen DeBoer can’t simply pick a name and hope for the best. Tide insider Mike Rodak warns that choosing the wrong starter first could create a messy quarterback carousel they cannot fix.

“I would still lean a little bit towards Austin Mack being the starter,” Mike Rodak said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “And then if it doesn’t work out, go to Keelon Russell.”

His current lean isn’t necessarily because there’s a clear separation between the QBs. Alabama opens the season at home against East Carolina on Sept. 5 before heading into a much tougher part of the schedule, which includes hosting Florida State on September 19.

Rodak’s argument is that Austin Mack offers a safer starting point. If Mack struggles, Alabama can easily switch to Keelon Russell to spark the team. But starting Russell first and benching him later could permanently crush the young star’s confidence. That is the exact costly mistake DeBoer must avoid before taking the field against East Carolina.

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“I think it’s easier to go from one direction to the other in terms of if Austin Mack doesn’t work out, then you can kind of break the glass in case of emergency and go to Keelon Russell,” he said. 

Keelon Russell is the player Alabama fans have been waiting to see. The redshirt freshman was a 5-star recruit, and Nick Saban has already gone out of his way to praise him. When Ty Simpson left for the NFL after last season, he looked like the obvious next man up. 

Austin Mack complicates that picture. He was a 5-star himself and already played in relief of an injured Ty Simpson in the Rose Bowl last season. There is also familiarity on his side. He has been with Kalen DeBoer since 2023, back when the head coach was still at Washington.

Then there’s the physical difference. Austin Mack is 6’6 and 235 pounds with a big arm. He’s more of the classic pocket passer. Keelon Russell is the athlete, the QB who can make things happen after the play breaks down. That is why Alabama isn’t rushing this.

OC Ryan Grubb said the coaching staff will probably need both scrimmages before making the call. He didn’t completely rule out a decision after the first one, though. If the answer becomes obvious, they’ll act.

“Obviously, the longer your team can have their starter name, the better off you are,” he said. “We don’t worry about the other team and who they know it is or isn’t. We just want to make sure we make the right decision.”

That patience matters because Kalen DeBoer knows what he is looking for. He wants to see how both QBs react when things get messy.

“What’s the response?” he said. “That’s a live football and momentum: getting it on your side and keeping it on your side.”

That may ultimately decide this thing. Alabama chose Ty Simpson 19 days before last year’s opener. Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb had made their previous QB decisions at Washington and Fresno State even closer to the season. So this isn’t a coach dragging his feet.