What Kalen DeBoer Has Seen From Alabama's QBs After First Week of Fall Camp

Alabama football has just completed its first week of fall camp. Over the last few days, the Crimson Tide got to see where things stand at multiple position battles. But the competition everyone has their eyes on is with the quarterbacks.

Redshirt junior Ty Simpson expected to win the job and has had that expectation for quite some time, but the battle isn't over just yet. Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said on Saturday that he'd hoped a Week 1 starter would be named by now, but that's not the case.

Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer said after Day 4 of fall camp on Sunday that Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell have each improved as the week has moved along.

"I think the biggest thing, practice No. 1 was good, No. 2, the installs become more and different things," DeBoer said. "A lot of it's still base stuff for the most part that these guys have built on [in] spring, summer. But there are a couple of just-missed opportunities, really between receivers, skill guys and the quarterbacks.

"I thought the last two practices, those near-misses have now been completions. So, that's what you like to see, where the plays are getting made, the plays are getting drawn up, there's execution on a high level somewhere.

"They either miss the throw, and sometimes maybe there's an offensive line breakdown of some type or something just a little closer and causing a little bit of distraction for the quarterback, but the last two days have really been better. That's what you want to see."

A takeaway from this quote is simply that the more consistent a quarterback is on the practice field and in the locker room, the greater the chances are of him being named the Week 1 starter. This has been Grubb's message to the quarterbacks throughout the offseason.

"Being able to show up every day and not wavering in and out of the type of player he is, the type of decision maker he is, the inconsistencies that a young quarterback would show, or a quarterback that's not ready to start," Grubb said. "As long as Ty could do that, or one of the other guys, that's going to be the player that's going to start at quarterback."

Alabama will practice again on Tuesday and will go through Friday. But on Saturday morning, the Crimson Tide will scrimmage in Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.