Alabama staff evaluates QB room after spring practice

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s no secret that there’s a quarterback competition going on at Alabama right now. The battle for the starting job between redshirt junior Ty Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell has been the focal point of the Crimson Tide’s spring camp.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb made everyone’s eyebrows raise during his press conference on Monday when he said that if Alabama played a game tomorrow, Simpson would be the starter. Though that quote is notable, it wasn’t the only thing he or head coach Kalen DeBoer said about the quarterback room.

“I think there’s a lot of great things they’ve all done. Ty continues to, I think, trend upward. I think all of them have really added to their game,” DeBoer said. “They’re all at different spots because Keelon’s learning the system. The other two know it better, for sure. And Ty has been around and just has done a nice job. I think the trending upward is a big piece of it. Ty is an accurate thrower. There’s always gonna be balls that every guy wants back, but I think the ability to learn from your mistakes, learn from other people’s mistakes, be able to comprehend, not be overwhelmed, I think that he’s just had more time. But they’re all doing a lot of really good things together as a group.”

DeBoer and Grubb were both complimentary of the group as a whole, highlighting how each quarterback had their own things they’re good at and their own things they need to spend some extra time working on.

“As far as development, they all have different strengths and weaknesses that they’re working on,” Grubb said. “We’re trying to celebrate the strengths and really work on the weaknesses. Obviously, you have a wide range there, from a first-year player in Keelon to a guy like Ty who’s been around the block to a guy who’s in the middle of the road, as far as experience goes, in Austin. From those parameters, how the guys got together and worked together on building their own game, I thought that was really impressive.”

The experiences of these quarterbacks are vastly different in each case. Simpson has been the primary backup for the Crimson Tide the past two seasons behind Jalen Milroe, and is entering his fourth year in the program. Mack is entering his second year in Alabama’s program, but his third year with DeBoer after spending his freshman year with both he and Grubb at Washington in 2023. Then there’s Russell, a player with immense talent and immense youth. He should have been at his high school prom last weekend instead of participating in A-Day.

DeBoer was asked what the next step was for Russell’s development, and he cited dealing inconsistencies that come with his young age.

“I think consistency. He had some really big days. You saw a lot of flashes of what he is capable of, and then you saw some times where just the consistency not [being there], and sometimes that just means not making the big mistakes,” DeBoer said. “And so it’s growth. It’s learning. He’s in it. His head’s in it. He’s the same guy every single day. That’s what you love about him. Just consistency. He’s going to be a guy that you can attack a defense, and I think all our quarterbacks have that ability with their arm to get after the opponent. Just consistent is the biggest thing for him. 

“Consistency as a person, that is strong. Consistency in the playmaking ability and the lack of mistakes, and he’s learning a lot of verbiage that’s brand new for him, so even just spitting that out consistently is something he’s grown a lot in. I sit and try to listen to the huddle, and exactly not just what he’s saying. That’s really all the quarterbacks, and they’ve really grown a long ways in their ability to demand the huddle that they’re in.”

Despite the differences in stages for each of the quarterbacks’ developments, Grubb said one thing is consistent between all of them: their competitiveness.

“I was super happy with all three of them from a competitive standpoint,” Grubb said. “That’s the first thing you want to see. Do all three guys have the competitive stamina to play the position? If you’re not ready for that type of scrutiny and just the competition level and the mindset you need to have as a quarterback to play, at any level, much less in the SEC and here at Alabama — I think those guys showed that, that competitive stamina every day.”

While there have been positive things out of each quarterback, and enough positives from Simpson for Grubb to throw the ‘starter’ label around in April, DeBoer emphasized that the unit is far from where he wants it to be when the season opener rolls around in August.

“Now, I will say, we’re not where we need to be at the quarterback position yet. And so I feel like that exists within our team, to have that level be accomplished, but this is part of the process,” DeBoer said. “I shared with our team, we’re not where we need to be as a team. I hope we don’t ever think that. It’s never been that case everywhere I’ve been, any year I’ve been a part of to where you finish spring ball in April and you’re like, ‘OK, we’re good to go.’ People ask, ‘Are you ready for the season?’ No, I’m not. We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and August, and I think that’s the case, I think, with the quarterback position.”

Another interesting wrinkle is the upcoming spring transfer portal window, where quarterbacks around the country will be moving around based on playing time and plenty of other reasons. With a thin room of only three scholarship players, Grubb obviously said he wants to hold onto all three of the Tide’s signal-callers.

He was also asked if three is going to become the new norm as far as quarterback room size, when in the past rooms have had four or even five quarterbacks at their disposal.

“I would never say no, like we’re never going to have a fourth scholarship quarterback,” Grubb said. “I think every year is potentially different, as far as where you have guys staggered in their classes and things like that, so you never want to say you can’t have four guys, especially if it’s a unique situation, but for us, the timing and where those guys are at developmentally, you’re in a pretty good spot.”

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