What Alabama players said about QBs to begin second week of spring practice

Alabama quarterbacks Austin Mack (10) and Keelon Russell (12) participate in drills during practice. Photo | Alabama Athletics

Alabama players are keeping tight lips when it comes to providing any inside on the Crimson Tide’s quarterback battle. Well, at least when it comes to the football field. 

“I think they’re both just hard-working,” Alabama sophomore tight end Kaleb Edwards said following Tuesday’s practice. “And just putting their head down, just grinding like all of us.”

Edwards isn’t leaning one way or another when it comes to choosing between redshirt junior Austin Mack or redshirt freshman Keelon Russell behind center. The closest the tight end came to providing a scouting report on either quarterback centered around his high school basketball days in California, when his Oak Ridge High School took on Mack’s Folsom. 

“We’ll have to play again,” Edwards said, when asked which of the two was the better hooper. “But, I would say, sophomore year, we did beat them that game.”

Mack appeared in four games last season, completing 24 of 34 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Most of those stats were accumulated when he came in for an injured Ty Simpson during last season’s Rose Bowl, completing 11 of 16 passes for 103 yards while leading Alabama to its only score in a 38-3 loss to Indiana. 

Russell appeared in just two games while playing behind Simpson and Mack during his debut season. The five-star talent completed 11 of 15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding 17 yards on three carries over garbage-time appearances against Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Illinois. 

While Mack has led the quarterbacks during camp, there’s been little to report about separation in the battle five practices into the spring. 

“That’s not something we think about too much,” Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown said when asked about the battle on Tuesday. “We pay attention to formations, personnel, receivers, stuff like that. We really just focus on getting a grasp of [everything]. We’re only in practice five.” 

Alabama wrapped up its fifth of 15 spring practices on Tuesday. The Tide will take Wednesday off for its Pro Day before returning to the field on Thursday.