Kalen DeBoer updates timeline for naming next Alabama starting QB
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Kalen DeBoer hasn’t yet decided between fourth-year man Ty Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack, or true freshman Keelon Russell for the starting Alabama quarterback job.
But that decision sounds like it isn’t too far off. Following the Crimson Tide’s first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, head coach Kalen DeBoer said the staff is getting closer to an answer.
“I feel like we’re getting closer,” DeBoer said. “I would have said before camp, we definitely have to make a decision by the time we get done with the second scrimmage, and I would anticipate that for sure being the case. We’ll see how the next few days go.”
Simpson enters fall camp with the most experience. That said, in 3 seasons, he’s thrown just 39 passes across 12 games. Mack, who played in 1 game in 2024, is most familiar with the Tide head coach, as the former 4-star recruit was part of DeBoer’s recruiting class at Washington in 2023 before transferring to Alabama after DeBoer’s hiring.
Meanwhile, Russell, a true freshman and a dual-threat star in high school, was the second-highest 2025 recruit in the country when he signed with Alabama.
“It’s 2 good showings, especially by Austin and Ty again today,” DeBoer said. “And then, again, Keelon making the progress we hope for. You can see what he’s going to be. It’s just a matter of more reps.”
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.
