The wait for Alabama football’s starting quarterback may finally have an expiration date.
With the Crimson Tide’s season opener against East Carolina approaching, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb provided perhaps the clearest timeline yet for when Alabama will decide between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell.
Following Alabama’s first preseason scrimmage, Grubb acknowledged that the quarterback competition is nearing its conclusion and indicated that the Crimson Tide will likely have to make a decision by next week.
“We’re close,” Grubb said. “I mean, we’re getting close to game week. So, I would say by next week, we’ll have to make that call.”
That puts the quarterback battle firmly on the clock.
And with Alabama’s second scrimmage on the horizon, the next few practices could be extremely important for both Mack and Russell.
Ryan Grubb Says Alabama Is “Getting Close”
Alabama has spent much of fall camp evaluating Mack and Russell without publicly declaring a clear favorite.
Both quarterbacks have had their moments, and the competition has remained open throughout preseason camp.
The first scrimmage provided plenty of intrigue but didn’t necessarily settle the battle.
According to sources who attended the scrimmage, Mack threw three touchdowns and an interception, while Russell threw one touchdown and one interception.
Russell’s touchdown came on a connection with junior wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams.
While some of the feedback from the scrimmage favored Russell, Grubb suggested that the overall evaluation goes far beyond the statistics or individual plays from one practice.
And that’s an important distinction.
Scrimmages are often structured around specific situations, meaning a quarterback’s performance can’t always be evaluated like a traditional game.
Still, Alabama is reaching the point where the coaching staff has to determine which quarterback gives the Crimson Tide the best chance to win.
Both Quarterbacks Had to Bounce Back
The first scrimmage wasn’t exactly a clean start for either quarterback.
Grubb pointed to two tipped interceptions as one of the low points and said Alabama struggled during the opening two series.
“Two tipped picks were the low point,” Grubb said. “I thought that they built momentum after the first couple series.”
Grubb also acknowledged that Alabama wasn’t operating efficiently early in the scrimmage.
The Crimson Tide eventually settled down and moved the ball effectively on four consecutive drives.
That response appeared to be just as important to Grubb as the early mistakes.
The ability to recover after things don’t go according to plan is a major part of playing quarterback, particularly at Alabama.
And Grubb believes both quarterbacks have responded well since the scrimmage.
Alabama’s Last Two Practices Have Been “Two of Our Best Days”
Perhaps the most encouraging development for Alabama is what has happened since the scrimmage.
According to Grubb, the Crimson Tide’s last two practices have been among its best of fall camp.
“Not maybe; they definitely have been,” Grubb said.
Grubb also said Alabama has continued building packages around its quarterbacks and praised the offense’s performance during a recent move-the-ball session.
The first-team offense scored a touchdown and a field goal on two drives.
That’s exactly the kind of progress Alabama wants to see as it moves closer to the season opener.
More importantly, Grubb believes Mack and Russell have gotten past a brief lull during camp.
“I think we hit a lull as it was kind of like the look around phase, like ‘What’s going on right now?’ And I think they got through that now,” Grubb said.
That could be a significant development in the competition.
The Mental Side of the QB Battle Could Matter
The physical evaluation is obviously important, but Grubb’s comments suggest Alabama is also watching how each quarterback handles adversity.
Grubb said he has always coached quarterbacks to play with “blinders on,” meaning they need to focus on themselves and the things they can improve rather than worrying about the competition around them.
That became especially important during the middle portion of fall camp.
The quarterbacks appeared to have briefly lost that focus, according to Grubb, but he believes they’ve gotten it back.
“I’m really, really impressed, especially today, on some move-the-ball situations where both guys were able to just hone in on the things they need to do better and didn’t get stuck when it didn’t go perfect, and were able to keep us moving,” Grubb said.
For a quarterback competition this close, that could be one of the biggest factors.
Alabama doesn’t simply need the quarterback who makes the most impressive throw in practice.
The Crimson Tide needs the quarterback who can consistently operate the offense, respond to mistakes, and keep the team moving.
The Second Scrimmage Could Be the Final Piece
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has previously indicated that the second scrimmage would be an ideal time to evaluate the quarterbacks before making a decision.
Now Grubb’s comments provide another piece of the timeline.
The second scrimmage could give Mack and Russell one final major opportunity to separate themselves before Alabama transitions fully into game preparation.
And once the decision is made, the focus will shift toward preparing the starter for East Carolina.
That makes the next several practices arguably the most important stretch of the quarterback competition.
Alabama Has a Decision Coming
For weeks, Alabama has been able to keep the quarterback competition open.
That luxury is quickly disappearing.
With the season opener approaching, the Crimson Tide will soon have to choose between Mack and Russell.
Grubb’s comments suggest that decision should come by next week.
The first scrimmage didn’t end the competition, but the response from both quarterbacks appears to have impressed the coaching staff.
Now, Alabama gets another scrimmage and several more practices to determine which quarterback is ready to take control of the offense.
The biggest question surrounding Alabama football may finally be nearing an answer.
And the next week could tell us who wins it.
Alabama Football QB Decision Timeline Emerges as Ryan Grubb Says Tide Is “Getting Close”