With Ty Simpson gone, Keelon Russell or Austin Mack must lead Alabama. Their performance dictates DeBoer's future and the Crimson Tide's season.
Alabama had a serious quarterback battle begin this spring after Ty Simpson declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Simpson was the primary catalyst for the Crimson Tide offense last year, as the run game was a major defect the team most of the year and was a critical factor in blowout losses in the SEC championship and College Football Playoff.
Keelon Russell and Austin Mack are set to continue their battle for the stating job in training camp. Head coach Kalen DeBoer needs one of those two to step and take the job, as it's unclear how much the running game has improved form last year.
Year 3 is a pivotal one for DeBoer, who has not yet signed a contract extension since talks happened around the time of the CFP.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports is projecting Russell to win the starting job for Week 1. He ranked Russell as the No. 34 quarterback in the country and the No. 10 signal caller in the SEC, which is promising for Alabama's prospects this season.
Crawford believes that the quarterback's play will determine what kind of a season the Crimson Tide have in 2026.
"Assuming he (Russell) beats out Mack, a former Washington transfer, for QB1 honors with the Crimson Tide, Russell's play could determine the future outlook for Kalen DeBoer's tenure as a coach facing pressure in 2026 -- and given where he ranked as a recruit (No. 2 overall), the Tide really have no choice but to see what kind of return on investment Russell delivers," Crawford wrote.
"Best-case scenario for Russell is for Alabama's run game to show vast improvements for aid and Ryan Williams returns to freshman form as WR1."
It's hard to judge this Alabama team because there are just more questions than answers about the offense at this point. The Crimson Tide have brand recognition, but they aren't the same program they were under Nick Saban.