It’s no secret that Alabama’s quarterback play last season was controversial, and regardless of how anyone feels about the situation now, it’s time to move on, because quarterback Ty Simpson already has.
There’s no doubt about it, Simpson was a great quarterback to have; he led the Tide to SEC Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinal appearances, also recording wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Oklahoma.
However, there were issues and inconsistencies. Once the season ended, it was confirmed that he had played a portion of the season injured, something that fans may appreciate but also find frustrating, given the way the season went.
Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (12) drops back to pass against UL Monroe at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated UL Monroe 73-0. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images
It’s no secret that Alabama’s quarterback play last season was controversial, and regardless of how anyone feels about the situation now, it’s time to move on, because quarterback Ty Simpson already has.
There’s no doubt about it, Simpson was a great quarterback to have; he led the Tide to SEC Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinal appearances, also recording wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Oklahoma.
However, there were issues and inconsistencies. Once the season ended, it was confirmed that he had played a portion of the season injured, something that fans may appreciate but also find frustrating, given the way the season went.
After fans saw the way that DeBoer was able to develop former Washington quarterback Michael Penix and create an extremely successful air raid offense, it has led to some questions regarding offensive struggles.
The thing is, when DeBoer arrived at Washington, he utilized the transfer portal to secure Penix, whom he had coached as offensive coordinator in a short stint at Indiana a few years prior. He got who he wanted, and it worked out.
But since DeBoer arrived in Tuscaloosa, that just hasn’t been the case for him. Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Simpson both stayed after former head coach Nick Saban’s departure; they stayed loyal, and so did DeBoer.
Both Milroe and Simpson are extremely talented, but they’ve really been DeBoer’s only options. It’s fair to say that just because they’re good doesn’t mean they would have been DeBoer’s first pick, maybe not even second or third, but he stayed loyal.
Sep 6, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (12) drops back to pass against UL Monroe at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated UL Monroe 73-0. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images
It’s no secret that Alabama’s quarterback play last season was controversial, and regardless of how anyone feels about the situation now, it’s time to move on, because quarterback Ty Simpson already has.
There’s no doubt about it, Simpson was a great quarterback to have; he led the Tide to SEC Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinal appearances, also recording wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Oklahoma.
However, there were issues and inconsistencies. Once the season ended, it was confirmed that he had played a portion of the season injured, something that fans may appreciate but also find frustrating, given the way the season went.
After fans saw the way that DeBoer was able to develop former Washington quarterback Michael Penix and create an extremely successful air raid offense, it has led to some questions regarding offensive struggles.
The thing is, when DeBoer arrived at Washington, he utilized the transfer portal to secure Penix, whom he had coached as offensive coordinator in a short stint at Indiana a few years prior. He got who he wanted, and it worked out.
But since DeBoer arrived in Tuscaloosa, that just hasn’t been the case for him. Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Simpson both stayed after former head coach Nick Saban’s departure; they stayed loyal, and so did DeBoer.
Both Milroe and Simpson are extremely talented, but they’ve really been DeBoer’s only options. It’s fair to say that just because they’re good doesn’t mean they would have been DeBoer’s first pick, maybe not even second or third, but he stayed loyal.
It’s also not realistic for a coach to get the exact players he wants, the ones that fit his scheme, all of the time. But when players get recruited by a coach, they’re being recruited to play the part that the coach wants them to play in their scheme.
Both Milroe and Simpson were recruited by the previous coaching staff, which reinforces the idea that neither of them may have been the best option for DeBoer, but he worked through it. But now both are gone, and it’s time to look ahead.
DeBoer now has two options: Austin Mack or Keelon Russell. Mack was recruited by DeBoer at Washington and eventually followed his head coach down South. Russell, a former five-star, was recruited by DeBoer at Alabama.
The time has finally come. DeBoer now has not one, but two quarterbacks of his choosing that could start next season, two quarterbacks that DeBoer and his coaching staff went out, sought, recruited and secured.
There are only two major differences between Mack and Russell: their former ratings as recruits and their classification. Russell received higher praise out of high school; however, that doesn’t truly matter once in college. But more importantly, Mack will be a redshirt-junior with two years of eligibility left, while Russell will be a redshirt-freshman with four.
That alone raises one question: unless Russell is severely behind Mack in terms of development, would the coaching staff be willing to start Russell next season, given that he will have four years to start, gain experience and develop?
DeBoer’s history of starting Milroe and Simpson through it all may suggest no, but consistent high praise for the quarterback and having Mack or Russell listed at second-string, rather than a second and third-string quarterback, may suggest otherwise.
Mack’s frame is a bit bigger, by about three inches and 40 pounds. But let the staff work with him over the offseason, and he might be a bit closer to what DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb want to see from him, physically.
Before the season started, when the quarterback competition was full-scale, DeBoer and Grubb both gave high compliments to the quarterback, but also both reinforced that he needed to clean up some minor things.
Some of those things are stuff that he’ll be able to improve on by getting game experience, being successful, but also making mistakes. That’s why it might be in the Tide’s best interest to get him playing as soon as possible.
In a world where it appears as though experience wins, he has the talent to win as a freshman, maybe not immediately at the scale that many fans would like, but enough for him to learn and gain that experience, while still being somewhat successful.
If Mack starts next year, and it doesn’t go all too great, he only has one year left. If Russell gets the start next year, and doesn’t do all too great, he’ll still have three years to develop, learn and execute DeBoer and Grubb’s system.
Once Russell can execute, he could be DeBoer and Grubb’s next Penix; he could be the next elite quarterback. Going back to the topic of getting the quarterback the coaches want, Russell has already drawn comparisons to Penix from Grubb.
“Keelon’s vision reminds me of Michael (Penix) a little bit,” Grubb said. “He has good wide vision with the field and can see it even when he doesn’t know exactly what’s going on. So, he’s still working through all the processes.”
It’s no secret that Russell has all the talent he needs; there’s a reason he was a five-star, there’s a reason why he was recruited by DeBoer, there’s a reason for the hype, there’s a reason for it all.
Russell may not be capable of going out as a first-year starter and winning it all, or even making the playoffs. But what’s to say that Mack is the answer? As it currently stands, there appears to be a higher upside with Russell.
Obviously, fans have to trust that the coaching staff will make the right decision. If Mack looks significantly better, then he should get the start. However, if there’s a minimal gap between the two, DeBoer may need to forget about loyalty and who’s been here longer and pull the trigger to start Russell to ensure the development of an elite quarterback as soon as possible.
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