Kalen DeBoer Says Alabama Quarterback Competition 'Always Continues'

Ryan Grubb named Ty Simpson as the frontrunner at the end of spring, but the Crimson Tide head coach said the competition isn't over heading into fall camp.

Mar 5, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Quarterback Ty Simpson (15) hands off to running back Jam Miller (26) during Spring Practice for the Crimson Tide. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–– At the end of spring practice, Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb revealed that Ty Simpson would be the Crimson Tide's quarterback if the season started the next day. But the quarterback competition is far from over according to head coach Kalen DeBoer.

"The competition always continues," DeBoer said at the Regions Traditions golf tournament on Wednesday morning. "That’s this year, that’s any year."

Alabama only has three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster–– redshirt junior Ty Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell. All three quarterbacks chose to remain on the roster during the spring transfer portal window.

None of the three quarterbacks has a collegiate start. Simpson has the most collegiate in-game experience, but most of his playing time has come late in the fourth quarter when the Crimson Tide is already in control of a game.

This is part of why DeBoer wants the focus of this summer for the quarterbacks to continue to focus on improving.

"I think the biggest thing for them, the message, is that they’ve all got to keep getting better for us to accomplish what we want to do as a team," DeBoer said. "Of course, being quarterback-driven in a lot of ways, personnel-driven, too, but the quarterback position needs to keep progressing. So this summer, fall camp, they’ve all got to keep getting better. 

"That’s their mindset. They’re great kids. They understand that. They have high goals for themselves individually and also for the whole team.”

The 2025 Alabama football season and Year 2 of the DeBoer era is a little over 100 days away when the Crimson Tide will face Florida State in the season opener.