Alabama football still doesn’t know its starting quarterback for the 2025 season, but head coach Kalen DeBoer is liking what he’s seeing from the three guys in the room.
At Bryant-Denny Stadium, DeBoer recapped what happened in the first scrimmage of the season for the media. Among quarterbacks Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, the three received positive reviews.
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“They’ve done a great job taking care of the football,” DeBoer said. He noted that not a single pick was thrown on Saturday, and there have only been three picks since fall camp began.
All three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes, according to DeBoer. Their completion percentages have been “in that range that we want,” which DeBoer clarified was around 65 percent.
What was Kalen DeBoer’s review of Alabama quarterbacks after first Saturday scrimmage?
As Simpson, Mack and Russell look to separate themselves in the competition, it sounds like the defining factor is who has the strongest voice in the huddle.
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“Ty and Austin, when they get in the huddle and they have to rattle off a play, they’re sharp and confident with it,” DeBoer said.
DeBoer noted Russell was “right there,” but still has more learning to do.
Timing wise, DeBoer felt like there were “very few times” where his quarterbacks were late or “not confident” in delivery. DeBoer was also happy with the trio’s performance when “explosive opportunities” arose during the scrimmage.
Being the veteran of the group and the lone quarterback named to the Crimson Tide’s leadership team, it’s widely anticipated that Simpson will emerge as the starter.
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Simpson took the field six times in 2024, notching his lone touchdown of the year on the ground against Mercer, but Mack emerged from his redshirt freshman season as the only name in the QB room with a passing touchdown to show.
It seems as though Mack’s Saturday outing — and camp performance as a whole — has made for an ongoing position battle that will continue as Alabama returns to the field for practice next week.
The Crimson Tide embark on the 2025 season with its first matchup at Florida State on Aug. 30.
July 30, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Quarterback Ty Simpson hands off to running back Jam Miller during the first practice session of the preseason for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How did Alabama football quarterbacks look in scrimmage? ‘Sharp and confident’
