What Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer expects from QBs in the summer

BIRMINGHAM — Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer was pleased enough with quarterback play in spring practice, but he's looking for more out of fourth-year junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell. And the Crimson Tide coach doesn't think he'll have to wait around until fall camp to see it.

"A year ago, there was so much improvement with all of them, even with Ty (Simpson), going from the spring to the fall, he came back and made another big jump. And that's what I would expect out of these guys," DeBoer said Wednesday at the Regions Tradition at the Greystone Golf & Country Club. "As good as they did and as nice a job as they had performing in the spring, I would expect them to take another big leap here in the summer. They're going to work hard. They're early morning guys. They're in early, they're real pros."

Russell looked sharp in Alabama's annual A-Day scrimmage, passing for four touchdowns and moving the UA offense effectively. He also got more reps than Mack toward the end of the scrimmage due to an undisclosed injury to Mack that DeBoer described as minor.

The two will vie to replace Simpson, who was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft last week, No. 13 overall by the Los Angeles Rams. Russell is a former five-star recruit and DeBoer's first high school signee at the quarterback position as Alabama's coach. Mack signed with DeBoer when he coached at the University of Washington, transferring to UA when DeBoer was hired to replace legendary coach Nick Saban.

But the quarterback position is only part of a larger offensive overhaul facing DeBoer and his coaching staff. The Crimson Tide must also replace four starters on the offensive line, its top tight end (Josh Cuevas), its leading rusher (Jam Miller), and its top wide receiver (Germie Barnard).

Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.