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What Kalen DeBoer said about Austin Mack after spring practice

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby:Charlie Potter•04/18/25•

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Alabama QB Austin Mack
Alabama QB Austin Mack (Courtesy of UA Athletics)

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said if the Crimson Tide played a game tomorrow, “Ty Simpson would start” at quarterback. We’re still more than four months out from Alabama’s season opener against Florida State, but Simpson exits spring as the frontrunner.

But what does that mean for Austin Mack?

Mack, who is in his second season after transferring from Washington last year, split first-team reps with Simpson this spring but, according to Grubb, is now second in the pecking order.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about Mack on Friday and discussed how this spring, the quarterback’s second in Tuscaloosa, was the most involved of his young career.

“I’m not gonna speak for Austin, but I do have a really good relationship with him, having been with him now, this will be Year 3,” DeBoer said on The Next Round. “And he knows he’s got some elite football ahead of him. He’s really getting the most reps he’s ever had here this spring. 

“Last year, he was in the mix, but really, you had more of Ty and Jalen (Milroe) and then even Dylan (Lonergan) was taking more reps than he was. It’s hard enough when you’ve got two, much less four, splitting that the way you want. He got one week back his freshman year at Washington, where we shelved Michael Penix a little bit, just making sure he was physically as strong as he needed to be there in fall camp. So he got an uptick of reps there. 

“But this was the most reps he’s ever had. He sees the growth. He sees the development.”

Mack will be a redshirt sophomore this fall and has only appeared in one game in his two years of college football. That was Alabama’s matchup with Mercer, of the FCS, in November of 2024, and the 6-foot-6 quarterback threw for 39 yards and a touchdown on 2-3 passing.

Mack is the only quarterback on the Crimson Tide’s roster with a passing touchdown in college, but he is currently behind Simpson, a redshirt junior, who has 16 contests under his belt. 

While Grubb publicly said Simpson is ahead in Alabama’s quarterback competition, the battle is not over, and Mack – and Russell – will continue to receive opportunities over the summer and during fall camp. DeBoer expects Mack to continue to compete at a high level.

“We’ve got a lot of great and hard workers on the football team. He’s near the top of that list as far as just the work he puts in,” DeBoer said. “I’m excited for him. I know there’s a trust that has to exist between coach and player. 

“I think that’s growing and existing with all three of the guys because they all did start with a different starting point, as far as Austin coming with us, Keelon being recruited by us and then, of course, Ty and the experience we had with him last year.”

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