Three weeks out from Alabama’s date with Florida State, Bryant-Denny Stadium was locked up tight for the first scrimmage of fall camp. No fans, no media, no curious eyes. Just Kalen DeBoer’s Tide battling it out in the August heat. And when the doors finally opened, the HC didn’t name a starting QB. But he might as well have handed us the shortlist. Because if you’ve been hoping for a three-man show, the leash just got shorter. 

The QB headliner is nothing new. Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell. On Saturday, they all got their reps, all three touchdowns, and all protected the football. Following the scrimmage, Kalen DeBoer addressed the media to drop his observations on Alabama Crimson Tide on August 9. “No picks today,” he said. “A few touchdown passes from all three of them. The completion percentage over the course of camp for all three has been in that range we want. Would like to have a minimum of 65%. They’ve just done a good job of being consistent when they take care of the football.” That’s clean football. And reading between the lines, the HC’s praise split into two tiers. 

Remember when former Alabama QB AJ McCarron said “Keelon Russell is not going to play” on The Dynasty podcast? “He is young. He is super talented. It’s just not his time right now,” he said. Turns out Kalen DeBoer might have to run with this. Keelon Russell’s got the future in his arm, but right now, it’s Ty Simpson and Austin Mack taking the meaningful snaps in the HC’s mind. 

Huddle command matters as much as arm talent and that credit goes to Ty and Austin who’s been around the offense the longest. “When they get in a huddle and they’ve got to rattle off a play, they’re sharp and confident with it,” DeBoer noted. “Keelon is still learning those things, but he’s doing a great job.” In the SEC, you can have the arm strength of Josh Allen and still drown if you can’t spit out the play call without tripping over your own tongue.

As a freshman, Keelon Russell is still building that presence. He’s learning how to own the huddle instead of just visiting it. The difference between reciting a play call and commanding one is microscopic to the untrained ear, but to Kalen DeBoer, it’s a chasm. He knows Tallahassee in late August won’t offer a gentle learning curve. FSU will bring pressure from every angle and the guy who survives that won’t be the one still adjusting his wristband mid-snap. And even between Ty and Austin, we might get the answer real soon. 

Kalen DeBoer teases QB decision deadline 

If you’re wondering when QB1 will be named, Kalen DeBoer gave a timeline without circling the date. “I would’ve said before camp that we definitely got to make a decision by the time we get done with the second scrimmage,” he said. That’s next Saturday. “I would anticipate, for sure, that being the case. We’ll see kind of how the next few days go.” Barring a last-second shake-up, we’ll know Alabama’s starter within a week.

Ty Simpson’s resume is thin but meaningful. He had six appearances in 2024, including a rushing touchdown against Mercer. Austin Mack’s got the only passing TD in the room from last season. Both have Kalen DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb’s trust. And while Simpson’s been the “if we played today” favorite all offseason, Mack hasn’t faded from the conversation. Saturday’s second scrimmage is the final exam. 

Keelon Russell will get his reps, but this battle’s not his to win in 2025. Not yet. The Seminoles’ defense won’t wait for Alabama to figure it out. By the time the Tide run out of the tunnel in Tallahassee, Kalen DeBoer needs one voice in the huddle, one set of eyes scanning the field, and one arm delivering the ball. And after next Saturday, we’ll finally know whose voice that is.