Alabama football is gearing up for an intense offseason quarterback battle. With Jalen Milroe's reported inclination towards an NFL future, the Crimson Tide finds itself in the hunt for a new starting quarterback. The contenders include current primary backup Ty Simpson and another signal-caller on the roster. Austin Mack's transfer from Washington before the 2024 season has added another dimension to the competition. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has been closely observing Mack's progress.

DeBoer's Praise for Mack

DeBoer has nothing but high praise for the redshirt freshman. "He’s one of the hardest workers on the team," DeBoer said. "There’s a lot of guys that pour a lot into it. He’s doing stuff on his own pretty much every day. You pick an early morning time when we don’t have a practice, he’s doing something in some facility in here. You bounce around and all of the sudden hear a ball being thrown or something moving. He’s one of those guys. He’s a gym rat."Mack has only seen limited action this season, playing in one game for the Crimson Tide. He made an impact in UA’s blowout win over Mercer, completing two of his three passes for 39 yards and a touchdown.In the meantime, Mack has been actively involved in running Alabama’s scout team. DeBoer noted that Mack has taken full advantage of these reps. "He’s really come a long way," DeBoer said. "It’s fun seeing him take advantage of even the scout team reps he took and just his ability to throw the ball where he wants it. And sometimes that’s a great opportunity because if you make a mistake it’s not the end of the world, but you can keep honing in on your skills. So, he did a lot this year to help those guys with the defense and now he’s getting more and more reps. I’m excited about his future, for sure."

The 2024 Season and Beyond

Alabama finishes the 2024 season on Dec. 31, against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The game is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT that day in Tampa and will be aired on ESPN. This upcoming bowl game will provide an important stage for the quarterbacks to showcase their skills. With the offseason quarterback battle heating up, fans and analysts alike will be closely watching how Mack and the other contenders perform. The outcome of this battle could have a significant impact on Alabama's future in football.