Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama team is, nice to say, undergoing a complete identity reboot. Following the mythic Nick Saban era, DeBoer’s inaugural season was a 9-4 rollercoaster: the Tide pulled off an upset of No. 1 Georgia in a thriller, preserved the Iron Bowl streak against Auburn, and crushed LSU in Baton Rouge, not precisely a debacle. But then the “wait, what?” moment arrived: Vanderbilt defeated Alabama for the first time in 40 years, Oklahoma thumped them, and then they staggered into a bowl loss to a weakened Michigan team. Recruiting, however, is a chess game: having signed blue-chip QB Keelon Russell for 2025, DeBoer’s staff has found it difficult to persuade other elite quarterbacks to commit to a probable two-year ride on the bench.
Now, talking about quarterbacks, let’s discuss DeBoer’s QB1 conundrum because if you think it’s difficult to choose a Netflix series, try selecting between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and the wunderkind Keelon Russell. Simpson, the veteran, is the favorite but has more career handoffs to running backs than touchdown passes to receivers. There’s Mack, the Washington transfer, and he’s tall, enigmatic, and maybe already looking over his shoulder at the transfer portal again unless he gets the job. And then there’s Russell, the next man up, and he’s still only 17 and likely unable to drive yet.
To DeBoer’s already diminishing QB problem, Austin Mack is out here making him look better by training with the professionals, and he doesn’t have company. Mack is out here training with the Raiders, yes, the NFL Raiders, not the local Tuscaloosa rec league, and he’s taking the entire locker room with him. “Some of the Alabama players who attended the workout were Keelon Russell, Derek Meadows, Isaiah Horton, Ty Simpson, Germie Bernard, and Rico Scott.” Alabama reporter Brody Smoot made a post on X.
Alabama quarterback Austin Mack shared a picture of he and his Alabama teammates working out with Raiders players on his Instagram story earlier today.
Some of the Alabama players that attended the work out were Keelon Russell, Derek Meadows, Isaiah Horton, Ty Simpson, Germie… pic.twitter.com/kAfVAivG2q
— Brody Smoot (@BrodySmoot) May 18, 2025
Mack, Russell, and Simpson; the potential prospects are getting reps in with actual NFL players, learning pro-level techniques, and most likely how to throw a spiral that does not wobble like that first frisbee the toddler learned to toss. If you’re Kalen DeBoer, you have to appreciate the initiative. And maybe also experience a migraine brewing. This is precisely the type of off-season melodrama that makes Alabama’s quarterback competition the binge-watching soap opera of college football.
Ty Simpson, the “steady hand” and apparent favorite, is likely working his tail off in the facility, doing all the right things, but without the flash of an NFL appearance. In the meantime, Mack is out in the west, Instagram-storying in Raiders gear, and now suddenly, the fanbase is divided: half are sure he’s the next Justin Herbert, and half just wonder if he can even outrun a 17-year-old freshman sensation in Keelon Russell.
“Among the Raiders players were Jakobi Meyers, Dont’e Thornton, and Geno Smith,” writes Brody. This wasn’t merely a lone sojourn to shoot selfies at Allegiant Stadium; Mack and the crew were out there throwing passes with some real NFL guys: Jakobi Meyers, Dont’e Thornton, and Geno Smith. That’s not your typical summer seven-on-seven squad. Meyers? The dude’s essentially the Raiders’ favorite receiver, Mr. Reliable, and he’s got some experience getting open off opponents’ best DBs. Then there’s Dont’e Thornton, who’s got the speed and size that makes defensive backs wake up in a cold sweat. Catching passes from the ‘kids’. And, of course, Geno is an actual NFL starting quarterback, Comeback Player of the Year, and someone who’s seen every coverage known to man.
Kalen DeBoer, meanwhile, continues to maintain that the competition is wide open and that no one has run away with the work. But the prospects’ Vegas trip just turned up the heat. Now, every practice throw Mack makes will be under a microscope like it’s the Zapruder film. If he’s sharp, the “start Mack” mob will be unbearable; if he does throw an interception, the “Simpson for QB1” mob will be off and running. And let’s not leave out Russell, who is still discovering where the locker room is, but with the hype that makes every incomplete pass a federal case.
Can Kalen DeBoer escape the “After Saban” curse?
So, after Mack and Co’s Vegas escapade with NFL stars and the never-ending QB1 circus, let’s speak about the elephant in the room. Not Big Al, but the ghost of Nick Saban is still haunting Tuscaloosa. Because let’s be real, Kalen DeBoer can go undefeated, find a fumble cure, and create a barbecue sauce that satisfies all of Alabama, and he’s still going to be compared to Saban every time he enters a Waffle House.
Saban’s shadow is so big that he gets mobbed at a golf tournament, while DeBoer, the actual head coach, could probably walk through the crowd wearing a “Hello, I’m the Coach” sticker and still get asked for directions to the parking lot. Saban didn’t just win six national titles and 11 SEC championships but built a coaching tree that’s now shading half the SEC. Lane Kiffin, Kirby Smart, and Dan Lanning. They’re all Saban’s coaching babies. And DeBoer’s still putting together IKEA bookshelves in his new office.
At Alabama, 9-4 is not only a “rebuilding year,” it’s the reason for a statewide crisis of self-worth. Auburn people would hold a parade from 9-4 but in Tuscaloosa? That’s “should we update our LinkedIn?” space for head coaches. DeBoer, God bless him, is trying to preserve the optimism that he’s recruited a top-3 class and added a dozen transfers, but if he’s not holding up a playoff trophy shortly, the Tide faithful are going to be side-eyeing him worse than a missed extra point.
So, can DeBoer ever get out from under Saban’s shadow? Honestly, unless he begins winning titles at a Saban-esque rate or develops a signature scowl, he may always be “the guy after Saban.” But at least he’s making the QB drama interesting, because if you can’t win ’em all, you may as well keep ’em guessing.
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