Alabama held its A-Day game on Saturday, featuring a live scrimmage between the offense and defense in front of fans.
The two-hour-long scrimmage featured two quarterbacks battling it out for the starting job with Ty Simpson moving on to the NFL. One quarterback took a big step forward while the other was "dinged up," according to head coach Kalen DeBoer.
During Saturday’s A-Day scrimmage, Alabama quarterbacks Austin Mack and Keelon Russell received equal reps between the first and second team offenses for the first portion of the scrimmage. Both quarterbacks were given four drives each, split evenly between the starters and the backups. To close the practice, Alabama transitioned to red zone drills, and the reps took a drastic change.
Mack led the offense in the first red zone drill, but Russell received the remaining five red zone drives to close the practice. It didn’t appear that Mack received any medical attention while on the sidelines, but DeBoer later addressed the situation after the game.
"We just had to limit Austin just with some stuff, " DeBoer said. “That was why. This week was a little bit where Keelon got some more reps, just with some things Austin is going through. Austin has been good for the most part, but wasn't able to finish it out. But he will be fine."
While Keelon Russell appeared to have the upper hand during Saturday's performance, the race for the starting role remains wide open. It is difficult to draw a definitive comparison between the two, with Austin Mack being physically limited.
While Mack brings a bit more experience and stability, Russell is more mobile and a playmaker with both his arm and his legs. If Alabama’s offensive line struggles to pass protect, Russell may be the better option, using his legs to avoid pressure.
After the game, DeBoer weighed in on how he thought the quarterbacks performed.
"I thought they looked more comfortable today," DeBoer said. “Both sides, trying to get back to the basics.”
Normally, the A-Day game would be the final practice of the spring, but Alabama still has two more practices left next week.
Don't miss out!Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
