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Two college football powerhouses predicted to have heated QB battles in 2026

A pair of SEC powers will be looking an interesting competitions for the starting QB role in 2026.
Joe Cox|
Alabama QB Austin Mack will likely find himself in an intense QB competition in fall camp for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama QB Austin Mack will likely find himself in an intense QB competition in fall camp for the Crimson Tide. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Alabama Crimson TideFlorida Gators

While many top college football programs were lucky enough to either return an incumbent QB or add a clear starter in the transfer portal, every team doesn't have a settled situation. At a number of schools, even a number of traditional powers, the battle for QB1 is likely to extend well into fall practice.

Pete Nakos of On3sports previewed several potential QB battles that could make college football headlines well into fall camp. While there were several interesting battles previewed, the major stories are a pair of SEC powers that are in vastly different situations but are likely to have massive QB battles.

QB Competitions Ahead

Alabama and Florida are two of the teams on Nakos's QB battle list. The Tide are heading into what could be a make-or-break year three for coach Kalen DeBoer after a second-round loss in the College Football Playoff. Florida, on the other hand, is starting fresh with new coach Jon Sumrall, who won quickly at Tulane and Troy, but now has to face the war-tested SEC.

Alabama's Battle

Alabama's battle centers around Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Mack has an extra year of experience. He threw three passes in 2024 and then 32 off the bench in 2025. Mack had enrolled at Washington under DeBoer, then followed the coach to Alabama. He was the No. 8 QB prospect in the class of 2024 per 247sports.

Russell
Alabama QB Keelon Russell could be the next starter for the Tide. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Russell threw 15 passes in spot action as a freshman in 2025. He was the No. 2 national prospect in the 2025 recruiting class and is perceived to have the broader upside. Russell is a bit more athletic, but Mack is a 6'6" specimen who is a prototype QB1. Their battle could be epic-- and may determine the future of DeBoer's job.

Florida's QB Dual

Florida's competition will feature returnee Trammell Jones and transfer Aaron Philo. Jones threw 35 passes in backing up DJ Lagway for the Gators in 2025. The 6' Jones was just a three-star prospect in the 2025 class, but showed flashes in his two games of action.

Philo transferred over from Georgia Tech, where he threw 102 passes between 2024 and 2025. The 6'2" Philo was also a three-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. His skill set might be a decent approximation of Haynes King, who he played behind for his time at Tech. Jones has a big arm, but Philo played under new Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner at Tech.

Philo
Georgia Tech QB Aaron Philo is expected to compete for Florida's starting QB role. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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