Kalen DeBoer didn’t need pads on Wednesday to get a read on Alabama’s quarterback race. He saw enough in the Crimson Tide’s first day of 2026 fall camp to like the overall tone from Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, even if the real sorting-out is still ahead.
“I thought they were consistent,” DeBoer said. “A couple of explosive plays in there, a couple of plays where you can see they're getting on the same page with a receiver-type guy - tight ends, running backs.
Just the little details. I thought they were consistent.
I loved the demeanor, their command, you could see the guys have it.”
That battle has been one of the summer’s biggest storylines, and it’s still in the early stages. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said in the spring that the competition is “pretty even,” and DeBoer has already made it clear a two-QB setup isn’t on the table. The process is going to stretch on for a while before Alabama names a starter.
Both Mack and Russell took a similar number of first-team reps in the spring, and that arrangement is expected to continue over the next couple of weeks. Unlike last year, when Ty Simpson was named the starter on Aug. 11, 2025, this decision should come much closer to the season opener. Neither Mack nor Russell has ever started a game, and while the two share some traits, they differ in size, experience and athleticism.
For DeBoer, the next test is less about one highlight throw and more about how each quarterback handles the grind of a practice rep by rep.
“We talk about response - someone's got to win a play every down - it's going to be something when you're going against each other and you just try to make that as game-like as possible,” DeBoer said. “What's the response?
That's a lot of football. And the momentum, getting it on your side, there's going to be plays that don't go your way.
But what does it look like? How are you coming together?
He also pointed to leadership as a major piece of the camp equation, especially at a time when practice is set up as offense against defense.
“We're identifying leaders beyond the guys that we expect to be able to stand up when needed and take charge,” DeBoer said. “As a whole team, that's what it's got to be.
Right now it's kind of an offense vs. defense, so you're trying at the same time build belief and confidence in each other. But you're really trying to ask the one side of the ball to kick the other side's a- all day.”
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The first fall practice brought a notable sight for Alabamas backfield: EJ Crowell was back on the field after a lower-body injury had kept him out for much of spring practice. His return gives the Crimson Tide another name to watch in a running back room that already includes returning players Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley and AK Dear, along with newcomers Trae'shawn Brown and Khalifa Keith.
Kalen DeBoer said Crowell flashed well in the non-padded workout, which is at least a useful first step for a player trying to reclaim momentum. The next phase will matter much more, though, because Alabama still needs to see how he looks once the contact ramps up and the evaluation gets real. [Read more 🡒]
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For a program that has long treated the run game as a baseline expectation, that kind of redesign could matter in a hurry. Whether the lighter, more athletic look translates into cleaner lanes and a more productive ground attack is still to be determined, but it is clear the Tide are at least exploring a different way to build up front. [Read more 🡒]