As spring practice gets underway, the Alabama Crimson Tide finds itself in an intriguing position, marking the beginning of a new era and bringing the season ever closer.
For the second time in three years — and the first time under Kalen DeBoer — Alabama faces a legitimate quarterback competition. Unlike last season, when he had to navigate the chaos of his hiring, DeBoer now has the opportunity to shape the team on his own terms
With two years of experience in the program, Ty Simpson stands as the presumed favorite due to his seniority and familiarity with what it takes to play quarterback at Alabama.
The other two contenders are Austin Mack, a redshirt sophomore who DeBoer brought with him from Washington, and five-star freshman sensation Keelon Russell, who is considered to be the future of the program.
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Whether or not that future starts now remains to be seen. But Russell is seen as talented enough to at least push to pull of the rare feat of being a true freshman starting quarterback in the SEC.
After the first day of spring on Monday, DeBoer was asked about the quarterback battle and what it will take to win it and he gave some insight into what he’s looking for.
“Well, I mean it’s got to be a guy who can deliver the ball, command the huddle, command everything we do with the team,” he said. “That presence, that belief and confidence in your signal caller. It starts with a lot of that — just the belief. The belief comes because you’re making the throws and you’re getting the ball in a fashion where they can go make their plays and reap the rewards of all the work they’ve put in.”
Asked about Russell specifically and how he compares to previous freshmen he’s coached, DeBoer offered high praise for the young gunslinger.
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“He’s up there. He certainly is,” DeBoer said of where the five-star is at compared to some of the most talented young quarterbacks he has seen.
“He’s got a long way to go because I think that’s the way he looks at it. He’s excited about what this growth’s going to be even during this spring. But his ceiling and what he accomplished through what you can see on the high school film, he’s a pretty elite quarterback coming in as a high school senior, current freshman for us.”
The quarterback battle will be the hottest topic surrounding the team throughout the spring, but as things play out, it’s just nice for Tide fans to have some football to discuss once again.
