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Why Alabama QB Austin Mack played fewer drives than Keelon Russell on A-Day

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter04/11/26Charlie_Potter

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama quarterbacks Austin Mack and Keelon Russell split the first- and second-team reps evenly through the first half of Saturday’s A-Day scrimmage. Mack and Russell each got four drives (two with the ones, two with the twos) before the team shifted to the red zone portion of the public scrimmage. That’s when the quarterback reps changed.

Mack was the first player out when the ball was placed on the 20-yard line, marking his fifth of the afternoon. But then Russell played the next five, giving him nine A-Day series. Mack stayed on the sideline and didn’t seem to get any medical attention, but head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about the discrepancy in snaps for the two quarterbacks after A-Day concluded.

“We just had to limit Austin just with some stuff. That was why,” DeBoer said. “This week was a little bit where Keelon got more reps just with some things Austin’s going through. Austin’s good for the most part, but wasn’t able to finish it out. But he’ll be fine.”

Mack attempted 12 passes and led one touchdown-scoring drive. He completed six passes for 101 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Russell, on the other hand, threw 33 passes and completed 21 of them for 240 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Russell was a star of the spring’s final scrimmage, as the duo continues to battle for the starting job.

But Mack’s teammates didn’t lose faith in him while he was limited and didn’t have his best day.

“He’s been extremely consistent through the first 13 practices, and today, he still had a pretty good day in my opinion,” said Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams. “One day doesn’t define us. So, I just told him on the sideline, I was like, ‘Look, it may have gone the way you want it, it may not have. Today isn’t the end-all, be-all. We still have two more practices to get better.’ I just told him let’s focus on those.”

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