Austin Mack may get the kind of game that changes a quarterback’s next move.
With Keelon Russell nursing an ankle injury after Alabama’s win over LSU and listed as day-to-day, Kalen DeBoer opened the door Monday for Mack to see the field against Vanderbilt on Saturday. If that happens, it could be more than just a spot start. It may serve as an audition for the transfer portal.
Russell won the starting job in camp over Mack, and the decision has paid off for Alabama. He has guided the Crimson Tide to a 7-2 record through nine games and has already delivered multiple second-half comebacks, including last Saturday against LSU. But the injury changes the picture, and Alabama may choose to protect Russell rather than push him against a Vanderbilt team the Crimson Tide likely won’t need him to beat.
That would put Mack in line for a real opportunity.
The junior quarterback arrived in Tuscaloosa with DeBoer in 2024 after being a five-star recruit for him at Washington. At 6-foot-6 with tremendous arm strength, he still carries the traits that made him such an intriguing prospect in the first place. The problem has been volume: Mack has thrown just 39 passes in his college career.
Still, the talent has never really been in question. In fact, many had him pegged as the favorite to win Alabama’s quarterback job heading into 2026 before Russell’s mobility gave him the edge. Behind a shaky Crimson Tide offensive line, that athleticism has mattered.
If Mack gets on the field Saturday, teams in need of a quarterback will be watching closely. With Russell seen as the long-term starter, Mack almost certainly will transfer out this winter. But before that happens, he may get one last chance to remind everyone why he was such a coveted name to begin with.
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