The Alabama Crimson Tide football team said goodbye to Ty Simpson this offseason as the quarterback is heading to the NFL. However, there’s no clear QB ready to take over the starting job, so head coach Kalen DeBoer is having a QB battle between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack to determine the starter.
DeBoer appeared on the April 9 edition of “SportsCenter,” and shared the latest on the battle to determine who will be leading the Crimson Tide as the team looks to have a bounce-back 2026 season.
“We know they’re both capable of big plays and the ceiling is extremely high for these guys, but it’s about consistency and leadership,” DeBoer said. “They’ve shown that through the spring. I’m really impressed and proud of what they’ve accomplished so far.
“There are still some practices to go, and there will be a lot of work that needs to be done this summer, but they have all the intangibles. They’ve done a great job of leading while still trying to focus on their job and win a quarterback battle.”
Alabama has a lot to replace with Ty Simpson gone. Last season, he posted an 87.7 overall PFF grade, ranking 32nd out of 302 qualified quarterbacks, while his 84.7 passing grade also placed 32nd at the position.
Over 479 dropbacks, Simpson threw for 3,282 yards with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also recorded 29 big-time throws compared to 14 turnover-worthy plays, showing a willingness to push the ball while still taking care of it most of the time.
He averaged 8.9 yards per attempt downfield and got the ball out in 2.94 seconds on average. Simpson chipped in as a runner as well, finishing with 189 scramble yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Alabama QB Austin Mack Is ‘Dinged Up’
Moreover, on April 11, DeBoer shared that Mack is dealing with an injury that could impact the QB competition to determine the starter.
“We’ll have to get him evaluated here, so it’s unfortunate with him getting dinged up,” DeBoer told reporters on April 11. “We’ll kind of see what that looks like. He’ll go get the MRIs and all that kind of stuff, and we’ll see what happens. We’ll have more information as we go through the spring and summer.”
Kalen DeBoer Doesn’t Let Criticism Impact Him
It was a disappointing end to the 2025 season for Alabama after the team’s Rose Bowl loss to the Indiana Hoosiers, who went on to win the national title. As a result, there’s pressure on DeBoer to get the Crimson Tide back in the national title picture.
Nonetheless, DeBoer isn’t paying too much attention to what’s being said on the outside after taking over for Nick Saban.
“You just focus on what you can control and love the journey, love the environment that I’m blessed to be a part of,” DeBoer added during that “SportsCenter” interview.
“These guys here in this program signed up for the same thing. Once in a while, I’ve got to remind them of that, and while you’re doing that, you remind yourself how fortunate and blessed you are to be here.”
Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer Shares Major Update on QB Battle