Alabama is Already Telling Us Who Will be the Starting QB

The Alabama Crimson Tide have quite the quarterback battle underway between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell in fall camp.

Both players are former five-star recruits, and the general consensus is that neither player has a massive edge over the other in the race for the starting job.

However, Alabama may have indicated who is actually the frontrunner in the early stages of fall camp.

During drills, Mack has been working with center Racin Delgatty and running back Daniel Hill. Russell, on the other hand, has been taking snaps from Casey Poe and handing the ball off to AK Dear.

That is a clear sign that Mack is currently No. 1 on Kalen DeBoer's early depth chart, and it would not be the least bit surprising if that continues right through the season opener against East Carolina on Sept. 5.

Remember: Mack has been with DeBoer ever since the head coach's final year at Washington in 2023, so there is familiarity there. Mack knows the system, and it's worth noting that it was Mack, not Russell, who relieved an injured Ty Simpson in the Rose Bowl last winter.

Now, does this necessarily mean that the starting quarterback job is Mack's to keep? No. If Russell clearly outplays him in camp, Russell could supplant him. Or, if Mack starts Week 1 but struggles early on in the season, DeBoer can always make a change.

The alternating two-quarterback system is not going to happen, so we can probably rule that out right from the jump. But could we ultimately see multiple signal-callers under center for the Crimson Tide this season? Absolutely.

Mack and Russell bring two very different styles to the table.

The former is more of a traditional pocket passer, coming in at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds with tremendous arm strength.

Then, there is Russell, the lanky, 6-foot-3 athlete who is a dual threat with terrific all-around potential.

Mack is a redshirt junior while Russell is a redshirt freshman, so DeBoer may also be more inclined to roll with Mack because Russell has a much longer runway to actually get out there and play.

We'll see what DeBoer ultimately decides in the coming weeks, but for now, it's looking like Mack will be the choice.