Every coach’s approach is different. There are some like former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer who publicly admitted that holding off naming a QB1 does more harm than good to the player. Then there are others like Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer who refuses to hand out the keys until it’s almost play time. His latest announcement didn’t clear the dilemma.

“I’m not ready,” Kalen DeBoer said in an appearance with Greg McElroy. “I’m not ready. I think the thing to say is that we do have two guys that you always talk about the- I talk about the ceiling for some of these guys, but also I think it’s also what’s the floor?” 

This is Kalen DeBoer admitting both Keelon Russell and Austin Mack are capable of running Alabama’s offense. And frankly, his dilemma is understandable, and so is his strategy. 

“And I think knowing that, hey, at the very least we’re at this point, like it leaves a lot of optimism on what that room’s going to be and what it’s going to lead to as far as the production on the football field each and every Saturday,” he said. 


Last year, Alabama dragged the QB competition deep into fall camp. It was less than three weeks before the opener against Florida State that Kalen DeBoer finally named Ty Simpson as the starter on Aug. 11. Even now, that’s his preferred approach. And if you listen to what he said about this style way back in the summer of 2025, you’ll understand why he thinks like that.  

“There’s been a similar kind of timeframe throughout fall camp,” he explained back then. “The last week and a half, we usually have a little bit longer of…We call them bonus practices leading up to week one. There’s a weekend before and then a few days before that. There is kind of when you’d really for sure like to have the starter named and him be able to start really being in sync with his receiving core, gel in that way and really dialing on the reps.”

Also, why would Kalen DeBoer want to rush it if this approach is for the greater good? These QBs are offering two completely different pathways for Alabama’s offense. Keelon Russell, the former 5-star in the 2025 class, showed up during the 2026 A-Day game throwing for 228 yards and four touchdowns. That performance caused a separation in the QB competition. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford already projected him as Alabama’s Week 1 starter. Meanwhile, the betting markets even gave him top-15 Heisman odds at +3000 before he’s even officially QB1. 

Still, the trust that Alabama’s staff has for Austin Mack is obvious. After all, has spent three years inside Kalen DeBoer’s system dating back to Washington. Besides, he was the one thrown into the fire during the CFP quarterfinal loss against Indiana after Ty Simpson went down. To his credit, he handled it pretty well considering the circumstances. The redshirt sophomore completed 11 of 16 passes for 103 yards in a game against the future national champions. 

But the dilemma here is that Kalen DeBoer may not fully know which version of this team he wants yet as the QB battle is tied to a much bigger issue surrounding Alabama entering 2026.

Kalen DeBoer admits Alabama’s big challenge

Leadership certainty isn’t there yet. That’s Kalen DeBoer’s fear. The 2026 roster is quite young compared to previous teams. Nick Saban-era Alabama teams were usually overflowing with veteran alpha personalities. But this one is still figuring itself out.

“We have very few seniors,” he admitted to Greg McElroy. “We have nine seniors, eight on defense and one on offense, but we’ve got a lot of juniors. I think we’ve got 19 juniors, guys who are in their third year, and a number of them are in their third year in our program.”

Alabama lost 10 players to the NFL Draft and replaced plenty through the portal. But Kalen DeBoer didn’t hide from how unusual it feels.

“It is different probably than what I’ve expected and experienced most years,” he said. “Most years, you know who most of the guys are all the way across the board that you can really expect to lead the charge.”

That uncertainty impacts the QB decision too. Should he go with Austin Mack’s stability and system familiarity or unleash Keelon Russell’s ceiling? That’s the dilemma sitting on Kalen DeBoer’s desk. But like he said, Alabama probably won’t fully know the answer until August practices come and leadership reveals itself.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR