Quarterback Austin Mack backed up Ty Simpson last season as Alabama returned to the SEC Championship Game and clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff. Mack, who has lost the battle to be Bama’s QB1 twice, to Jalen Milroe and Simpson, is entering the third year of his Crimson Tide career after following Kalen DeBoer from Washington.
During the offseason, Mack is once again embroiled in an intense battle with redshirt freshman Keelon Russell to be the program’s QB1 next season.
Greg McElroy Analyzes Alabama’s Quarterback Battle Between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Always College Football Show,” ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy delved into the Crimson Tide’s quarterback battle, revealing that Russell was pushing Mack much closer than expected.
“This thing is real now. No manufactured drama, no coaching staff politics. To be 7 practices in, to have a full scrimmage in and have no separation at the QB spot. That to me is a wonderful thing,” McElroy said. “The case for Austin Mack, he’s got great institutional knowledge of how to operate this system, whether it’s pre-snap, post-snap, or terminology.
“There’s plenty of people who’ve said that system familiarity could be the decisive edge. The case for Keelon Russell, he’s a blue-chip recruit. Here’s the whisper that has me intrigued, is that Ryan Grubb has been seen individually coaching him up. You’re gonna spend more time with the starter, clearly this is going to be neck and neck.”
Mack redshirted his freshman season in Washington, but he enjoyed a year of learning offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense. He tallied 228 passing yards, resulting in 2 touchdowns, while adding 22 rushing yards and 1 touchdown last season.
On the other hand, Russell is a former five-star talent and was the No. 2 quarterback and No. 2 overall prospect in the Class of 2025, just behind Michigan star Bryce Underwood. In limited game time last season, Russell showed off flashes of brilliance, going 11-of-15 for 143 yards, resulting in 2 touchdowns.
While speaking to reporters after Alabama’s scrimmage on Friday, DeBoer revealed the intensity of the quarterback battle between Mack and Russell.
“I love the aggressiveness that they have,” DeBoer said. “They’re not gun-shy. They go and make plays attacking whenever they can get the right opportunities with the throws, and they’re making the throws. And the guys are coming through, making the plays for them, and catching it.”
Last season under Simpson, Alabama’s offense earned an anemic PFSN College Offense Impact score of 81.7, providing a huge challenge to his successor to take up the mantle and return the Crimson Tide to elite status.
