All spring long, Alabama’s QB battle has been hotter than fish grease. You had message boards popping, insiders whispering, and folks on Twitter acting like they had Kalen DeBoer’s playbook under their pillow. Austin Mack is low-key out of the race, so it’s down to two gunslingers: Ty Simpson, the OG backup who stayed solid, and five-star Keelon Russell, the young killer from Texas who came in with the hype. Now here’s the twist — Simpson got the lead today, but according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, that might not last long.

So let’s stop dancing and hit the news. On May 9, Pete Thamel slid onto ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, and when Tone Digs threw out that QB battle question — the kind no coach ever wants to touch in May —“We talked a lot about the beginning of the conversation about the quarterback depth charts and how coaches are not going to talk about that, but there are a lot of big programs who do have quarterback battles… Alabama’s got Ty Simpson and Austin Mack down there. Have those big schools, if any of them leaned in any direction as far as who’s gonna be the face of their program, moving forward this moving forward this year?”

Pete Thamel didn’t stutter: “Good question. Tone. And I think at least two of those schools, I feel like, who starts the season, not necessarily end the season, if that makes sense. You mentioned that Simpson, I would think he’s the experienced, safe son of a coach, kind of guy who could, who can roll out their week one, that the name at Bama, that’s got some buzz, is Keelon Russell. He was the number one quarterback recruit in the country. Is he the kind of guy that can show the coaches enough where he could eventually, he could eventually end up taking over.”

Totally makes sense—sometimes the guy who starts in Week 1 isn’t the one closing it out. Simpson feels like the steady hand to roll out early — experienced, smart, coach’s kid, all that. But Russell? That name’s picking up real steam in Tuscaloosa. Top QB recruit in the country for a reason. If he shows the coaches he can handle the pressure and run the offense better than Ty Simpson, the coaches might not be able to keep him on the sidelines for long. At Bama, it’s all about who can get it done when the lights come on, and Russell’s got that kind of upside.

Even though Bama OC Ryan Grubb said, “If we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start,” the streets have been watching. Simpson’s got the edge for now, but the clock’s ticking, and that Keelon Russell train got some loud wheels. Even Mick Gillispie from Cover Crimson didn’t sugarcoat it, “I think they’ll have some patience with Ty, but if he struggles… I could see Mack coming in. And if it all goes sideways, Russell might get a shot.”

Is Ty Simpson Kalen DeBoer’s guy?

Ty Simpson’s grind isn’t new. The Former No.2 QB in the country has been hanging around since Bryce Young dipped, stuck it out through the Jalen Milroe era, and never hit that portal button, which, in this day and age, is like playing four quarters with no helmet. And finally, he might be the guy.

Kalen DeBoer’s been singing Simpson’s praises like he’s front row at karaoke night. “Ty has been around and just has done a nice job. I think the trending upward is a big piece of it. Ty is an accurate thrower. There’s always gonna be balls that every guy wants back, but I think the ability to learn from your mistakes, learn from other people’s mistakes, be able to comprehend, not be overwhelmed, I think that he’s just had more time.” Translation: DoBoer is leaning towards Simpson and this QB battle is nearing its end.

And that’s the million-dollar catch. The leash is short. Everybody knows Alabama doesn’t do patience. Last year’s 9-4 record was straight-up embarrassing. Worst since 2007. And of Simpson trips out of the gate? Somebody’s getting pulled.

But DeBoer made it clear in a recent interview with USA Today: “He’s a guy that players, I think, see as a productive quarterback but also one who’s fun to be around, a good dude. He’s got to continue to balance the leadership piece. Any quarterback needs to not just be seen as a guy but their guy. That’s what you want.”

“You want someone who, at the quarterback position, everyone will fall in line with and do anything for, because he’s their quarterback. That competition continues to happen. We are not where we need to be yet, but Ty certainly has all the traits to win championship games for us. I really believe that, but I also believe we have a couple other quarterbacks who have it in them to do the same thing.” Big praise for a guy who fumbled the pigskin at the goal line on a 79-yard touchdown run.

So yeah, Ty Simpson’s in front. He’s earned that. But there’s a freight train coming behind him — name’s Keelon Russell — and if Simpson doesn’t ball out early, that door’s gonna swing wide open. Next thing you know, Ty Simpson could be riding the bench for a third straight year.