Kalen DeBoer knew the Alabama job came with pressure—but now it’s heating up. As he heads into Year 2 in Tuscaloosa, there’s little room for error. Joel Klatt summed it up: “He’s in place at a place that is expected to win, and not just win, but win big and win at the highest level of college football.” Missing the playoffs is not an option. With Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, and Georgia on the schedule, things could get a little tricky. But does he have the right QB1 to survive it?

DeBoer knows what’s coming—his SEC rivals won’t be pulling any punches. What he doesn’t know yet is who will be Alabama’s starting quarterback in 2025. Up until the end of the 2024 season, things seemed to be running smoothly in Tuscaloosa. Thanks to former quarterback Jalen Milroe, the QB room had clarity and direction. But heading into 2025, DeBoer finds himself in a tough spot, spoiled with options.

The battle for the QB1 job is now between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell. So, who has the edge?

Back in April, Alabama’s new offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, gave a small peek behind the curtain. “At the end of the day, if we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start.” That statement may have hinted at a decision, but just when DeBoer might’ve leaned toward Simpson, things took a turn.

Former Alabama running back Damien Harris and CBS Sports HQ’s Mike Rodak stepped in on June 10 to stir the debate. Rodak started by pointing out Simpson’s momentum. “Ty Simpson definitely came out of the spring with the edge. That was the message from Kalen DeBoer and from Ryan Grubb is that if the season started right after A-day in April that it would be Ty Simpson starting. But the more Kalen DeBoer talked about it, the more it sounded like all right, Ty Simpson’s the veteran; that was kind of the default option, and what Kalen DeBoer really wants to see is a playmaker.”

And it’s easy to understand why. DeBoer is hoping to recreate the same explosive magic he produced with Grubb at Washington during the 2022–2023 run. The Huskies’ offense led the 2023 regular season with 4,903 passing yards. By that logic, Simpson—being the most experienced of the three—should have the upper hand. But Rodak wasn’t done.

“There are two other quarterbacks in that room and and really the elephant if you will is Keelon Russell because he is the highest ranked prospect to ever commit to Alabama.” He added, “And so when you have that level of talent on your roster, even though he might be a freshman, if he’s ready he’s going to be chomping at the bit and it’s going to be hard for Alabama to keep him off the field.”

Russell, who was initially committed to SMU before flipping to Alabama, turned heads after winning the Elite 11 MVP. He joined Alabama’s 2024 recruiting class with serious buzz. While Rodak doubled down on Simpson’s advantage, Harris wasn’t ready to count out Russell either.

Damien Harris said, “Kalen DeBoer isn’t a coach that just wants the safe option, and they want a playmaker, they want a guy that can unlock the deep parts of the field. With his arm and can also use his legs and be mobile and from what I’ve seen and heard that is Keelon Russell in a nutshell. So if he has the opportunity and he keeps getting those reps throughout spring, throughout summer, you know, those weeks into training camp, I think he’s going to make life very, very hard on Ty Simpson as far as keeping that QB1 spot.” But here’s the twist—DeBoer’s quarterback search might not be over just yet.

Keelon Russell’s fight to stay in the picture

Can you really blame DeBoer? Alabama has been a quarterback factory—Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Milroe, Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Jalen Hurts—the list speaks for itself. When asked about Russell, DeBoer didn’t hold back the praise. “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 even a 5-star tag might not be enough for Russell to lock in his spot.

Now, DeBoer has turned his eyes toward a new name: Jett Thomalla, a four-star quarterback from Omaha, Nebraska. What’s drawing DeBoer in? According to On3’s Tim Watts, Thomalla reminds him of Russell. “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.”

Though DeBoer has yet to flip Thomalla from Iowa State, the mere interest adds pressure to Russell. And things have already been heavy for Russell personally.

On June 4, Russell’s twin sister, Kierston Russell, tragically passed away in Tuscaloosa at the age of 18. She had just graduated from Duncanville High School and was planning to attend the University of Alabama alongside her brother. Kierston, a promising athlete herself, played basketball and had dreams of her own—dreams that came to an unexpected halt. Now, the question is no longer just about who will be Alabama’s QB1. Will DeBoer give Keelon Russell the platform—not only to prove himself but to honor the memory of his late twin sister?