When Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama reins from Nick Saban, he knew he was stepping on hot coals. A program whose base is hot with six National Championship Titles, and 16 bowl game victories. And the first hurdle he faced was the quarterback dilemma. It became a three-way battle between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell. Amidst the trio, Russell had already left a mark on DeBoer’s heart. While Crimson Tide is yet to crown their QB1, clouds of pressure are gathering for Russell. Turns out that DeBoer’s interest is now leaning towards a 6,769-yd quarterback phenom.

Just as things are too tough for DeBoer to step into Saban’s shoes, the quarterback position is equally demanding. After all, the Crimson Tide for so long has been known as the factory of the best quarterbacks in the nation. You name them- Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Milroe, Greg McElroy, and the list goes on. Even amidst this pressure, it’s a huge deal to land in DeBoer’s good books. The head coach gave a glowing review of the five-star youngster, Russell. “He’s up there. He certainly is. He’s got a long way to go because I think that’s the way he looks at it.” But Russell is now going to miss the hype train. The reason? DeBoer has now set his eyes on someone else. That’s none other than the Omaha, Nebraska, four-star signal caller Jett Thomalla.  

On the May 24 episode of the On3 Recruits podcast, Tim Watts shared how Russell and Thomalla share the same path. Russell was initially committed to SMU before flipping to Alabama. He won the Elite 11 MVP after joining the Crimson Tide’s 2024 recruiting class. But even then, DeBoer is now on a hunting spree. Maybe the similarity is what draws DeBoer to Thomalla. As Watts noted, “They share a little bit similar, I mean, you see this guy, Jett Thomalla, committed to Iowa State. Not a lot of people were really talking about him, but when you turn on his film. He is 6’5. He’s got a big arm, he’s a basketball guy.” DeBoer’s new interest reminded the analyst of former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. He is the only quarterback in the ACC to eclipse 4,000 offensive yards. Now what’s there for Russell to worry about?

“I think he’s [Thomalla] going to start out or at least his plan is to take an unofficial visit and then possibly come in for an official visit,” came a reminder. But what would make Thomalla flip his commitment from Iowa State to DeBoer’s squad?  

Jett Thomalla’s Alabama love amidst Kalen DeBoer’s rattled rank 

Thomalla comes as a package who specializes in the deep ball, one who has good pocket presence, who can move around and be mobile if necessary. With this, Iowa State was already sold on him. They hurriedly came up with an offer in late January that turned into a commitment in mid-April. Now that DeBoer is found lurking around, continuing his search for a 2026 quarterback, Thomalla pounced on the golden opportunity. Having completed 69.6% of his 359 pass attempts for 6,769 yards, 76 passing touchdowns, he knew that he would turn into an attention magnet.

But DeBoer’s attention was “crazy,” something he never would have expected, calling the Crimson Tide “one of the top programs for years now.” Like all others, he too dreams of getting a break in the NFL. And what better platform than DeBoer’s Alabama? Thomalla said, “It’s something to look at because I know they’d help me get me there.” Milroe is the fifth straight Alabama starting quarterback taken in the draft, dating back to Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts in 2020.

While Kalen DeBoer is too busy setting up meet-ups with new recruits, he himself landed in a soup. On May 22, CBS finished off its ranking of all the Power-4 coaches, releasing its Top 25. That’s where the Alabama head coach dropped to the No.9 rank. The first three spots are held by Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and Dabo Swinney in that order. It gets a little dicey after that. Head coaches like Marcus Freeman, Brian Kelly, and James Franklin got a seat above DeBoer. Now the question remains: Will this slip affect the recruiting trail?