Alabama’s Keelon Russell and Austin Mack just received some extra motivation following national media outlet’s 2026 QB preview
Keelon Russell and Austin Mack won’t be short on motivation ahead of spring ball.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is going to start a new quarterback for the second year in a row in 2026. Who that is remains to be seen, but the early returns on both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have been positive.
We also know that the surroundings for whoever starts at quarterback figure to be the best they have been in years. A rebuilt offensive line, a 5-star in the backfield, a new offensive line coach, and one of the best WR duos in the country create sound infrastructure for the Crimson Tide’s 2026 passer. But that’s not enough to have an Alabama QB among the top-10 in the nation.
Alabama QBs not among On3’s top-10 for 2026
Now I understand that the quarterbacks on this list have actually played in meaningful college football games before. Other than some relief stints for Ty Simpson, Russell and Mack have never started a game…yet.
That’s where the motivation comes in. Sam Leavitt was banged up, and there were reports of Arizona State being ready to move off of him, regardless of his decision. Gunner Stockton is largely viewed as more of a threat with his legs than his arm.
Players like Sorsby and Hoover will all be making jumps to higher levels or better conferences. So I’m not saying that Russell or Mack are immediately better than anyone on this list. What I am saying, is that they have the right to, and likely will use this as motivation heading into spring ball and beyond.
Russell is the five-star with all the glitz and glamor. The prize recruit of the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa, the word is that he is wise beyond his years as a processor, and you can see how dynamic he is based on his high school tape.
Then you have Mack, who came over from Washington with DeBoer. He’s headed into year four in the scheme and he has an obvious advantage over Russell in terms of experience. Internally, we know how the coaches feel about the duo, with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb going as far as to say that Alabama has two of the best QBs in the country.
“I think a lot of people were waiting to see what we do in the portal, and with Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, we got exactly who we need,” Grubb told WAKA Action 8 News via On3. “They’re two of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
We’ll see who’s right come the fall.
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