Who’s the next man up for Alabama after Ty Simpson’s 2026 NFL Draft decision? Almost immediately, attention shifted to freshman Keelon Russell, who enrolled early, absorbed the grind, and stayed patient in a QB room that demanded it. But there’s competition in the room with Austin Mack. The QB’s mother, April Moore offered an unfiltered look at how her son views the coming competition.

“He doesn’t say he is going to war with Austin Mack,” April Moore said in her interview with Bama247’s Brett Greenberg on January 13. “He says he is competition with himself at this point. I think the media will pin them against each other, which they always do. His thing is, as good as Austin is, it’s Keelon going against himself… Like I told him ‘the game is yours to be played (and) the job is yours to be had if you want it’ and it doesn’t mean you have to create enemies or this big rivalry.”

April Moore was direct about the outside noise. She acknowledged the media tendency to frame QB battles as personal duels but dismissed that approach outright. Keelon Russell believes the job is there to be won, not claimed through hostility or narrative. She also emphasized that both her son and Austin Mack are wired similarly and that the competition will be rooted in execution, not ego. 

“I wouldn’t want to be the offensive coordinator, the quarterbacks coach or (Kalen) DeBoer to make the decision,” she added. “God bless them guys. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Alabama’s actions have reinforced that this is a real competition. Both Keelon And Austin Mack re-signed with the program through its NIL collective. In the current market, that is rare. QBs rarely stay put without assurances, and they almost never do so without leverage. If the Tide had privately anointed a starter, the other would likely have left. Mack has waited three seasons across Washington and Alabama for a chance to start. Russell arrived as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Neither lacks options but their decision to stay confirms there are no guarantees being handed out.

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It also stabilizes Alabama’s roster. There will be no spring portal exit so the QB duo will compete through camp and into the season, knowing the loser will still be on the roster. That is rare in modern college football and speaks to how Alabama has handled communication. Austin Mack may have a functional head start. He was Ty Simpson’s primary backup and finished the Rose Bowl after the starter left with a cracked rib. But pedigree and trajectory matter too, and Keelon Russell’s ceiling is why this remains open.

Keelon Russell’s limited on-field work did not dilute that belief. He finished 11-of-15 for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Against UL Monroe, he threw for 65 yards and two scores. Against Eastern Illinois, he added 78 more. OC Ryan Grubb has not downplayed his ceiling. 

“He’s an NFL quarterback,” he told AL.com. “He will be, and I don’t say that lightly. His ability to run the offense grows literally every time we practice. Every meeting, every practice, he learns and grows, just how to operate and not just play.” 

April Moore’s confidence is not new. Throughout Keelon Russell’s freshman year, she resisted public pressure for early snaps and praised the program’s structure. After his two-touchdown outing against UL Monroe, she again stressed respect within the room and credited Ty Simpson and Austin Mack for setting the tone. Her message was consistent then and now. Her son is where he needs to be. The question is not if he becomes QB1, but how he earns it. That mindset mirrors Russell’s own words.

“Man, no, I’m 100% here,” he said ahead of Alabama’s CFP Rose Bowl semifinal against Indiana. “I came here to win national championships… My time’s gonna come.” 

The competition is now in progress after Ty Simpson’s multi-million deal rejection.

Ty Simpson rejects $6.1M NIL offer

After waiting four years in the line, Ty Simpson threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions in 2025, leading Alabama to the Playoff quarterfinals. At 23, after four years in the program, he leaves behind production and an example. Keelon Russell has repeatedly pointed to the senior’s patience as a blueprint. But his departure also revealed the scale of what Alabama QBs now turn down to stay aligned with the program. 

In the days before finalizing his NFL decision, Ty Simpson received NIL offers that redefined the market. Miami and Tennessee floated figures around $4 million. Ole Miss matched. Miami eventually pushed the number to $6.5 million after missing on another target. The Tide QB admitted the decision nearly derailed him. He described a Sunday filled with anxiety, skipped plans, and conversations with his parents about what that money represented. His father, UT Martin head coach Jason Simpson, helped ground the discussion. So did a familiar voice from Alabama’s past. 

Ty Simpson recalled advice from Nick Saban, a reminder about clarity, legacy, and knowing who you are when the noise gets loud. Ultimately, he chose the NFL because the meaning mattered more. He personally informed Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb, making it clear his decision was final. 

“Everybody would just remember me as the guy who took all this money and went to Miami or Tennessee for his last year,” he said. 

That wasn’t the story he wanted written. For Keelon Russell, the takeaway is precedent. He watched a QB wait four years, turn down generational money, and leave on his own terms. That example, combined with his mother’s steady confidence and Alabama’s deliberate approach, frames what comes next. The job may be his soon.