Future outlook of Alabama football’s quarterback position ahead of 2026 season

The future of Alabama football’s quarterback position remains very bright ahead of the 2026 football season.

Here is an outlook of the position as currently constructed:

Current Players On Roster:

Austin Mack (Redshirt Junior), Keelon Russell (Redshirt Freshman), Jett Thomalla (Freshman), Tayden Kaawa (Freshman)

State Of The Position:

Alabama football is looking for its next starting quarterback ahead of the 2026 football season. Keelon Russell and Austin Mack are both competing for the spot, with the competition still very much in the air at this point. This battle is expected to continue through the start of fall camp, and it is currently unclear when it will wrap up.

Kalen DeBoer went on record last season before Ty Simpson was named the Crimson Tide’s quarterback and said he would prefer to have a starting quarterback named about two weeks before the season opener. Ty Simpson was named Alabama’s starter almost three weeks before the Tide opened the 2025 season against Florida State.

“There’s been a similar kind of timeframe throughout fall camp,” DeBoer said in May of 2025. “The last week and a half, we usually have a little bit longer of…We call them bonus practices leading up to week one. There’s a weekend before and then a few days before that. There is kind of when you’d really for sure like to have the starter named and him be able to start really being in sync with his receiving core, gel in that way and really dialing on the reps. But, you know, if you feel like you’re at that point earlier. It’s been a few practices earlier, maybe a week earlier at some point.”

Verbal Commits:

2027 – Elijah Haven (5-Star QB), Trent Seaborn (4-Star QB)

2028 – Charles Scott (3-Star QB)

Future Outlook:

Whenever the future of Alabama football’s quarterback position is discussed, Keelon Russell is the first name that comes to many people’s minds.

The former five-star is expected to live up to some high expectations in Tuscaloosa, but it remains to be seen when he will earn the opportunity to do so. If Russell does win the Tide’s starting quarterback job this fall, this will leave Mack with a decision to make, with Russell having to wait at least two years before he is eligible to declare for the NFL Draft.

Alabama is on pace to sign two quarterbacks in back-to-back recruiting classes. This move should keep at least four quarterbacks on the Tide’s roster for the next few years. It also further shows DeBoer will have no problem recruiting quarterbacks at Alabama. The Tide’s head coach is developing an impressive resume with the position after leading Michael Penix and Ty Simpson to first-round NFL Draft status.

Adding two quarterbacks in each class could be a strategy the Tide continues to implement, and it likely will breed competition in the room. However, on the flip side, it could open the door for transfers. Having plenty of depth at the position should circumvent this problem.