Alabama Crimson Tide has only one player left from the Nick Saban era, and that is QB Ty Simpson. But Kalen Deboer knows the portal game better than anyone. He had to face a lot of struggle when a swirl of players opted out, along with Saban’s unforeseen departure. He had to wait until the portal got wide open on both sides. DeBoer gained back some of the talents and mounted a lackluster season. However, in 2025, he aims to improve the depth chart, particularly in the QB room. He got Austin Mack and Keelon Russell as the two other potential starting QBs.

Sure, DeBoer no longer has to worry about scarcity, but it triggers another issue. A ruthless competition is brewing underneath between three supremely talented signal callers at Tuscaloosa.

Keelon Russell stands behind the other two QBs in the fiery QB1 competition 

Heading into a decisive second year of DeBoer’s tenure at the Tide, the ‘who will have the key’ question becomes much more crucial than ever. An indecision or a rash decision might lead to damage to any position concerned. So, here DeBoer should be extra careful. It won’t be easy. Even analysts are struggling to pick the best of the three.

As per CFB analyst JD PicKell, ”Alabama’s the trickiest one for me. I want to say this: I have the lowest level of confidence in predicting who wins the quarterback battle for Alabama. You got Austin Mack, you got Ty Simpson, and you got the wild card that is freshman Keelon Russell. Now Russell, from what I have been told from folks close to Bama, is arguably the most raw, talented quarterback of this group, so leave that there.”

Russell came off as the nation’s 2nd-ranked QB prospect in his class. His numbers in the high school were overwhelming. Playing for Duncanville High School, Russell’s stats for the 2024 season read like this: 4,177 yards with 55 TDs and 4 INTs on around 67% completion. In 2023, he had a 72.1% completion rate for 3,483 yards with 38 TDs and 3 INTs.

But again, it’s either talent or experience that dominates the room. In this context, Russell lacks the second. “He’s a freshman, so do you really want to roll with a freshman after a lackluster season in year one for Kalen DeBoer?” The ON3 analyst added another reason to cut Russell out of the equation. However, it’s safe to say that the young man deserves a chance, too. But it’s too risky to pose an experiment for a coach who himself is not out of his notice period at Tuscaloosa.

”Well then, he gets the excuse to say we played a freshman last year; give us some time, ya’ll, it’s Bama; there are no excuses at Bama; it is a win now, which makes me think it’s probably a Ty Simpson, Austin Mack discussion as we sit here right now before spring football,” PicKell dug deeper on DeBoer’s scripted justification in favor of Keelon Russell.

However, even if we subscribe to PicKell’s view of Keelon not getting the starting QB’s job in his freshman year, it doesn’t mean he will not have a pivotal role in shaping the Tide’s offense going forward.

Keelon seems to be the major game changer in the Tide’s 2025 class 

ESPN college football analyst Tom Luginbill believes Russell will be a top-tier success at Alabama. Luginbill deems Russell and the Crimson Tide as one of his “favorite fits” of the 2025 recruiting cycle. Justifying his stance, the ESPN mogul noted, ‘‘He’s the ideal QB to get the ball out quickly and accurately (and) push it downfield in Kalen DeBoer’s offense. He has also shown touch when needed in short-to-intermediate throws. He can extend plays with his legs, attack defenses as a designed runner, and is an absolute winner and the perfect QB to bring Bama back to the top.”

The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder from Duncanville is also getting some premature hype about being the Jalen Milroe prototype at Alabama. Russell not only made significant contributions at the line of scrimmage but also meticulously executed every play call. His passing skills and natural talent are two of his biggest strengths.

He made every throw with intent. Whether he can reach that level is a matter of debate, but his intelligence is impeccable. If Ty Sympson or Austin Mack, in case they fail to grab the QB1 role, DeBoer can easily take a chance on Keelon. Rest; we will see how things unfold with time!