Kalen DeBoer shares message for Alabama football quarterbacks Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell, Austin Mack

Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer made one thing clear about the quarterback competition.

“It doesn’t (end),” DeBoer said Wednesday. “The competition always continues. That’s this year. That’s any year.”

DeBoer was speaking at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Hoover before playing in the Regions Tradition celebrity pro-am and fielded a question about his message to the quarterbacks after the spring.

“I think the biggest thing for them, the message to them is they all have to keep getting better,” DeBoer said. “For us to accomplish what we want to do as a team, and of course, being quarterback driven in a lot of ways. Personnel driven, too. But the quarterback position needs to keep progressing. So this summer, fall camp, they’ve all got to keep getting better. That’s their mindset. They’re all great kids and they understand that. They have high goals for themselves individually and also our whole team.”

Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are all competing to replace Jalen Milroe as the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide in 2025. Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said at the end of spring, if the Crimson Tide played a football game tomorrow, Simpson would be the starter.

“(Simpson) earned that, okay?” Grubb said. “And I know that’s the line everybody’s looking for, but that is what he earned. Austin Mack made huge strides, also available reps were the same, you know, and he did a really good job. He came out and developed. Just with some of the nuances and take care of the football and things like that, but Ty showed out a little bit better.”

Simpson is heading into his fourth season with the program. Mack will be in his second at Alabama but third overall with DeBoer. Meanwhile, Russell is a true freshman but a five-star prospect.