Alabama supporters are fresh off seeing their program reach the playoff just two years after the end of what may have been the greatest era in the sport’s history. Expectations are likely to be higher in 2026, as patience wears thin entering Kalen DeBoer’s third season, especially after he secured a deal worth $87.5 million.
How Alabama’s Quarterback Battle Impacts Kalen DeBoer’s Third Season
SEC analyst Paul Finebaum asked Jake Crain of the “Crain & Cone” podcast about what DeBoer needs to accomplish this fall in Tuscaloosa, and Crain mentioned the importance of stability.
“I think the move that they just made with Coach DeBoer was a smart one because in a world that we don’t have continuity, having continuity on the recruiting trail in the locker room when you’re trying to retain guys on a roster is massive,” Crain said. “And I think there’s a common misconception that somehow Alabama fans think that Kalen DeBoer should be Nick Saban.
“They’re nut groups in all SEC fan bases. That’s why it works. But I do think a lot of Alabama fans understand it will never be that good, but they still have a very high standard.”
In 17 seasons, Saban won six national championships and nine SEC titles, creating a standard where anything less than a trophy felt like a disappointment. DeBoer isn’t just competing against today’s top coaches; instead, he is chasing the shadow of that historic legacy.
DeBoer will be facing a new challenge in the 2026 season following the departure of former starter Ty Simpson, who finished last season with an 85.4 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact. There is a neck-and-neck battle between redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell, with no clear leader declared.
DeBoer himself said he views the quarterback situation as a good problem, but Crain mentioned the pressure surrounding the situation.
“The quarterback battle is interesting,” Crain said. “I always tell people, don’t take too much from the spring game. Austin Mack could have had better practices overall than what Russell did, but Russell was what you saw. So if he’s not the starter, fans are like, ‘Oh, my God, Kalen DeBoer doesn’t know what he’s doing.’ I like the Alabama secondary. The question is, and I think most Alabama fans will agree with me, can you run the ball?
“Because you can’t have an inexperienced quarterback, I don’t care how talented he is, in this league, in this sport, at this level, and not be able to run the ball. You got lucky with Ty Simpson? I don’t think that’s going to happen again. So can they get better up front? And will Ryan Grubb just stick to running it? That’s another big question, and I assume that we’ll see that a little bit more this year.”
For whatever a spring game is worth, Russell did outperform Mack by a large margin, as he logged over 220 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, whether DeBoer is ready to hand a freshman the keys to the offense is still very much up in the air.
