Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer shares the blunt reality of the QB competition between Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell and Austin Mack

Kalen DeBoer enters his second season at Alabama in 2025, and the expectations are high following a below-standard debut season in Tuscaloosa. In a bid to get things right, the coach is seeking to select the best of his three options as the team's next starting quarterback.

In his appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Wednesday, DeBoer explained the current situation of the quarterback race between Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. He offered a candid message on the three quarterbacks heading into the fall camp.

“If you had to play right now, you’d go with the veteran in Ty,” DeBoer told the veteran ESPN analyst. He did a nice job this spring, as did the others.”

“We just need to keep that competition going. They know that. That’s their expectation, because they know that where they’re at right now isn’t good enough to where we need to be to have success as a football team.”

Ty Simpson is the most experienced quarterback of the three, with 16 appearances over three years at Tuscaloosa. He faces competition from Mack, who is heading into his second season at Bama after transferring from Washington last year.

Meanwhile, Russell is ranked as the nation's No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. He's Alabama's highest-rated freshman quarterback signee since Bryce Young.

Kalen DeBoer maintains his stance on the quarterback competition

While Ty Simpson is believed to be ahead in the race for the starting quarterback role, Kalen DeBoer noted that the battle is far from over. Speaking to the media at the Regions Traditional golf tournament on Tuesday, the coach gave his opinion on the quarterbacks amid the intense race.

“The competition always continues," DeBoer said. "That's this year, that's any year. I think the biggest thing, the message is they all have to keep getting better for us to accomplish what we want to do as a team.

“Of course, being quarterback-driven in a lot of ways, personnel-driven, too, but the quarterback position needs to keep progressing. This summer, fall camp, they all got to keep getting better. That's their mindset. They're great kids. They understand that. They have high goals for themselves and also for our football team."

Kalen DeBoer has the responsibility of coming out with better results in 2025 after ending the 2024 season with a 9-4 record. The coach has to bring the team to the College Football Playoff next season, and getting it right at the quarterback position is crucial to the goal.