Alabama’s quarterback room has become one of the most intriguing parts of Kalen DeBoer’s roster, even without a starter locked in for 2026.
The battle is still very much open. Redshirt freshman Keelon Russell has been the name most often tied to the top spot, but redshirt junior Austin Mack is right there and will keep pushing him through fall camp.
However it shakes out, the Crimson Tide appear to be in good shape. Russell has already started to pick up dark-horse Heisman Trophy buzz, and Mack brings plenty of talent of his own.
That’s why CBS Sports leaving Alabama out of its Top 10 QB rooms this week raised eyebrows. Blake Brockermeyer released his list, and the Crimson Tide didn’t make the cut.
The rankings went like this: Oregon, Texas, Utah, Ole Miss, Ohio State, LSU, USC, Miami, Houston and Notre Dame.
It’s a curious omission, especially when Alabama’s depth is part of the case. Mack was a 4-star recruit and a Top 100 overall player.
Russell arrived as a 5-star and the No. 2 overall player in his class. Behind them sits 5-star true freshman Jett Thomalla, giving Alabama a level of star power that most programs simply can’t match.
Brockermeyer didn’t explain why Alabama was left off, but the list clearly leaned toward rooms with a proven starter already in place. That’s fair enough if the discussion is about the most established quarterback. It’s a different conversation when the topic is the best quarterback room overall.
If someone wants to argue that Utah’s Devon Dampier is more proven than Mack or Russell, that’s reasonable. But saying Utah has a better quarterback room top to bottom than Alabama is a much tougher sell.
And the real punchline here may come after the season. If Russell or Mack takes control and turns into one of the nation’s better quarterbacks, this list will age badly in a hurry. The loser of the job would still give Alabama what might be the best backup quarterback in the country, and Thomalla makes the third spot look just as loaded.
Alabama has plenty to sort out heading into 2026, but quarterback doesn’t look like one of those problems. The Tide have elite talent at the top, elite depth behind it, and a room that looks far stronger than the latest ranking suggested.
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