Greg McElroy explains why he expects Alabama QB competition to extend into season
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Alabama will have a new starting quarterback in 2026. While Kalen DeBoer will be asked for updates – repeatedly – throughout fall camp, Greg McElroy does not expect the Crimson Tide head coach to have settled on QB1.
Either Keelon Russell or Austin Mack will take the first snap and get the start against East Carolina, but McElroy believes the competition for the starting job will carry into the first games of September.
“Mack, he’s the experienced hand,” McElroy said. “He came with Kalen DeBoer from Washington. He’s played in five games over the last two years. This is his fourth year in the system.
“And by the way, he was a top-100 recruit himself. So let’s not do the thing where we pretend that this veteran guy can’t play. But he knows every answer to the test. He’s just never been asked to take that test just yet.”
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Back in April, Russell dazzled in Alabama‘s A-Day spring game. But, as McElroy notes, Mack dealt with an injury.
“Russell, he’s the consensus 5-star (recruit) from a couple cycles ago,” McElroy said. “He’s a redshirt freshman, saw almost nothing last year as the No. 3 (QB), and then went out in the spring game and threw 4 touchdowns.
“One thing of note, Mack was limited in that spring game, a little bit banged up. So the scoreboard is a little bit of a mirage. And I think DeBoer knows that.”
McElroy feels that DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb need to see both in game action before making a call on QB1.
“I think right now, DeBoer and Grubb, they’re going to watch and see who takes care of the football. Who is most capable of leading the offense,” McElroy said. “It’s not necessarily a talent evaluation. This might be more of a trust evaluation. Here’s what I think actually happens.
“I think both are going to play. If you look at how the schedule is built, September 5th, you get East Carolina at home. September 12th, you’re at Kentucky. Then September 19th, you have Florida State in Tuscaloosa. So you have a little bit of a runway through week one to assess both guys on the field, playing real live tackle football.”
That is McElroy’s prediction. McElroy’s ESPN colleague Jordan Rodgers recently shared that he expects Russell to claim the starting job at some point during the 2026 season.
Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are deeply entrenched in an @AlabamaFTBL QB battle
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) July 28, 2026
And @GregMcElroy thinks it could continue into the season 🤯#RollTide 🐘 pic.twitter.com/2e9BtO5LkB
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
