Kalen DeBoer praises Alabama QBs for lack of turnovers in fall camp
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Kalen DeBoer hasn’t yet named the next Alabama starting quarterback, but he liked what he saw from Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell during Saturday’s scrimmage in Tuscaloosa, with just weeks to go before the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Florida State on Aug. 30.
“The biggest thing with those guys is they’ve done a great job taking care of the football. No picks today and a few touchdown passes,” DeBoer told reporters after the first scrimmage.
Coach Kalen DeBoer mentioned that he and his staff like to have the Tide quarterbacks collectively complete 65% of their passes while, of course, not turning the ball over. Both boxes seem to be getting checked so far during fall camp.
“They’ve just done a good job of being consistent,” he said. “They’ve taken care of the football. I think there’s been maybe 3 picks all camp when you talk about 7-on-7 drills, team drills.”
They’ve also been able to increase their rate of explosive plays, he added, praising their confidence in getting the ball where it needs to and “throwing on time.”
“The last few practices, (they’ve) found ways to get explosives,” he said. “I think command in the huddle, your 2 guys who have been around the offense the longest — Ty and Austin — when they get in the huddle and they’ve got to rattle off a play, they’re sharp and they’re confident with it. Keelon’s still learning those things, but he’s doing a great job.”
DeBoer also said Saturday that Alabama is getting close to naming a starting quarterback. The plan is to settle the competition after the team’s second scrimmage.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
