Greg McElroy details why Alabama fans should want close QB race

Photo comes via Tuscaloosa News/USA Today Sports

Alabama football remains without an answer to the million dollar question, who becomes its starting quarterback in the fall?

Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have been stellar nearly 10 practices into spring camp – including a scrimmage.

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According to sources, Touchdown Alabama Magazine learned both signal callers tossed multiple touchdowns. Mack and Russell bring different traits that make Alabama dangerous on offense, yet no one has separated as the No. 1 guy in the room.

Greg McElroy, a former Crimson Tide quarterback, sees this situation as a ‘wonderful’ thing.

The 2009 BCS National Champion explained on his podcast, Always College Football, about why Tide fans should be supporting the close battle between Mack and Russell.

.@AlabamaFTBL fans should be HAPPY that the QB competition is going to go down to the wire 🐘#RollTide pic.twitter.com/7sXS4WAeCa

— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) March 31, 2026

“Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have both taken a bunch of first-team reps,” McElroy said.

“If you listened to Coach Kalen DeBoer, after the scrimmage, he talked about the aggressiveness that these guys have played with. They are not gunshy. That they are going out and they are attacking, and trying to make plays. They are trying to take advantage of opportunities. I love this too, because I think oftentimes, if you are in a quarterback situation, a quarterback competition, you want to make plays, but you also don’t want to make big mistakes. So naturally, you are probably just a little bit more guarded. Does not sound like that is the case for Austin Mack and Keelon Russell.”

McElroy stated that DeBoer sees the competition as ‘neck-and-neck’ and Alabama is ‘nowhere close’ to naming a starter right now.

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“Clearly this thing is going to be neck-and-neck,” McElroy said. “And that is what you want if you are Alabama’s fanbase, you want this thing to go down to the wire, you want both of these guys to show they are capable, maybe it even goes into the season. That could happen.”

McElroy looks at this race as one that could determine Alabama’s season. 

It will be interesting to see who wins out, but both give the Tide a strong opportunity to compete for a College Football Playoff National Championship.

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Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.  You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.