It’s wild in Tuscaloosa this spring. Right now, it’s a QB circus, not in a bad way of course. It’s more like every practice feels like a new episode of ‘who’s gonna be the guy?’ Alabama’s got Ty Simpson looking sharp, true freshman Keelon Russell turning heads with raw talent, and Austin Mack with some unexpected locker room buzz. And all of it? It’s got Kalen DeBoer facing his first real QB dilemma after Jalen Milroe’s run. 

But before we dive into the madness of this QB battle, let’s talk about what lit the match. Alabama’s trusted voice, Kevin Scarbinsky, didn’t mince words on April 10 when he hopped on Alabama Crimson Tide on AL.com. “They will get more out of the quarterback position than they got out of Jalen Milroe,” he said. “Jalen did some great things but he didn’t take the leap forward that a lot of people thought he might because Kalen DeBoer had so much success with quarterbacks, not necessarily that style of quarterback though.” Well, Milroe didn’t quite fulfill the expectations of fans. A little rewind….

Jalen Milroe put up decent numbers in 2024—2,844 yards and 16 TDs. But the 11 interceptions scarred his resume. Not quite the leap forward fans were expecting, especially under a QB whisperer like Kalen DeBoer. The second-year Bama HC’s best work has come with pocket passers who operate clean and sharp from the pocket. That counts the rest of the QBs before Milroe. Let’s rewind once more to DeBoer’s past for a sec…

Kalen DeBoer made his name developing QBs. At Sioux Falls, Lorenzo Brown went 29-0 and won two NAIA Championships. At Fresno State, Marcus McMaryion was a dual-threat dream with 6,355 passing yards and 51 total TDs. Then came Jake Haener, who racked up 6,117 career passing yards and 53 TDs in two seasons at Fresno State. And of course, the big one—Michael Penix Jr. at Washington. In two years, the guy tossed for 8,572 yards and 62 TDs, becoming a Heisman finalist and a top-8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That’s the standard now. So yeah, it’s no surprise the QB situation is in full heat.

Austin Mack factor adds more to Kalen DeBoer’s QB dilemma 

As of now, all signs point to Ty Simpson leading the Alabama QB battle. Greg McElroy sees him as the potential QB1. But it’s not a done deal. Kevin Scarbinsky added, “one thing that is curious.” And it’s about what Chris Low had to say about Austin Mack.

The ESPN senior writer threw some gas into the fire this week. “My take on @AlabamaFTBL QB situation after being on campus: Ty Simpson best positioned to be starter, but has to go win it. Hasn’t done it yet. Austin Mack is battling and has some real support among players. Keelon Russell most talented of the three, but a freshman. Legit race,” he wrote on X.

Here’s where it gets juicy. Austin Mack transferred in from Washington, so he’s already got reps under Kalen DeBoer. That familiarity might count for something. As Scarbinsky pointed out the irony, “I can imagine some Alabama fans cringing at that a little bit because we heard that about Jalen Milroe. You can’t replace Jalen Milroe because there’ll be a mutiny in the locker room because the players love him, his teammates love him, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great guy.” Still, Mack is falling behind in scrimmages, and that’s a big question mark. 

So well, don’t be surprised if Kalen DeBoer drags this QB battle all the way to their season opener on August 30. But A-Day’s coming up on April 12. Perhaps, we’ll get a clue about who’s ready to take the Tide to a new era.