Strong Arm in Tow, Austin Mack Making Presence Felt in Quarterback Battle

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— According to Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard, redshirt sophomore quarterback Austin Mack gets up at 4:30 a.m. to be one of the first people at the practice facility every morning.

"Just the time that he puts into the game, it's ridiculous," Bernard said on Monday at the team's media day. "He's putting in the time. He's doing everything that it takes to be a great quarterback. I just commend him for that."

Mack is one of three offseason hopefuls for the Crimson Tide's starting job, competing against favorite Ty Simpson and true freshman Keelon Russell. Mack has been acquainted with head coach Kalen DeBoer the longest, since the two's time in Seattle at Washington overlapped in 2023.

Bernard was there too, putting up 34 catches and 419 yards that year, and he believes Mack's game has come along during their shared time in Tuscaloosa.

"Austin has always had a strong, powerful arm," Bernard said. "The most improvement that I've seen is the accuracy... [He's] putting in the work, just the time. With the game of football, it's like, what you put into the game is what you're gonna get out. You can tell that he's getting what he has been putting in."

When DeBoer left the Huskies' program for the Alabama job, he brought several players with him. One was Mack, who didn't play during the 2023 campaign. His college reps have heretofore been limited. Mack played in one game last fall, the Mercer contest on November 16, throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass.

Redshirt freshman wideout Rico Scott caught that pass. It was a dandy of a throw, without much room for Scott to work with in the end zone. As the good quarterbacks do, Mack put the football where only his receiver could get it.

Austin Mack to Rico Scott for an Alabama touchdown pic.twitter.com/Po0aaV0O77
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) November 16, 2024

"Austin has a very strong arm. He knows how to use it too," Scott said Monday. "You might have some quarterbacks who have a strong arm, but they don't know how to control it. Austin's very accurate. Smart. Hard worker. I mean, it's fun having him out there."

The idea that Mack has a cannon for an arm is not confined to the receiving corps. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb stated in June that Mack was "probably the best pure thrower of the football." Grubb has not been shy about making pronouncements this offseason. In April, he said directly that if the regular season began after spring ball ended, Simpson would be the starter. He stuck to his guns on that in June, and he stood by what he said about Mack on July 31.

After the Crimson Tide's second day of fall camp, Grubb said Mack "just has elite arm talent," and can power through things. Then, this past Tuesday, he added the quarterbacks have grown and been able to play through bumps in the road quickly, including Mack.

"Sometimes you'll hit that, and they'll stay down. They get on the canvas, and they can't get back up. I thought both the guys did a great job," Grubb said Tuesday about Mack and Russell. "That's one of the biggest things, is just improved decision-making in the room."

Mack sat behind Jalen Milroe and Simpson last season. It's easy to forget, with more than a year and a half separating this writing from Nick Saban's sudden retirement, that life after Washington was probably chaotic at first for Mack as one of the many whose careers faced upheaval due to Saban retiring. Another who faced this challenge was tight end Josh Cuevas, a fellow Washington transfer.

"Austin [is] just throwing darts out there," Cuevas said Monday. The Alabama quarterbacks have been working with the tight ends a lot during practice periods of fall camp viewed by media members. "I think he has a high ceiling. Completely high ceiling."

As of the end of July, the position battle was not officially over. Grubb, who was Mack's offensive coordinator at Washington, said on the second day of camp that the team's ideal scenario was being ready to name the starting quarterback on the first day. Whatever the eventual outcome, Mack is having an impact on this team, particularly in the camaraderie he shares with those that took the journey from Seattle with him.

"He's a great football player, but I think he's an even greater guy, honestly, off the field too," Cuevas said. "We're hanging out, [we're] brothers. Brother for life, right there. Coming from U-Dub, working through that transfer portal together and just kind of getting through all the adversity that we had here first. We're coming out of it better. Our brotherhood's growing."

See Also: