Continuing on a theme we introduced last year, we’re breaking down Alabama’s roster and going in-depth with our preview in advance of previews for the other 15 SEC teams.
In recent years, we’ve waited until fall camp began to take a look at the upcoming team, giving the coaches every possible second to finalize a pre-camp roster. This has led to content droughts, however, so we’ve chosen to break up the 2026 Alabama team preview into eight segments, following our traditional eight-category game previews.
Fans who are familiar with our preview articles know we rate each unit and place them in one of five categories: Excellent, Very Good, Average, Fair and Poor. Continuing on something we started in 2025, we do a little advance scouting at the player level as well; if there is something that stands out, good or bad, it is noted for the players.
No walk-ons are rated in these articles – outside of the Special Teams preview, which will be the final in this series – unless we believe the walk-on in question has a real chance of making the actual playing rotation, not just playing in blowout situations. Players are listed below in the way we believe they finished spring camp. For players who were not yet on the team in the spring, they are listed at the end of their respective categories.
QUARTERBACKS (rating: Vg)
1. Austin Mack (Jr., 6-6, 232)
Strengths: Good height and build while maintaining decent scrambling speed, best pure arm strength on the team, got a nice audition in the College Football Playoffs when Simpson was hurt
Weaknesses: Scrambler but not necessarily a runner, needs to see it a bit quicker when pressure hits, prone to stretches where his accuracy leaves him
Analysis: Mack got an unexpected trial under fire in the season-ending loss to Indiana in the playoffs following Ty Simpson’s injury at the end of the first half. Mack acquitted himself well, especially given the complete dearth of a running game to help him out, while also buried under a big Indiana lead. The best thing that could be said about him during that time was that he didn’t appear to mentally break down given the gravity of the moment, and he made a handful of ace throws at the same time. Mack continued to put up good work in the spring, although he was outplayed by Keelon Russell at A-Day and doesn’t enter camp with any kind of built-in lead for the position. If Mack isn’t named the starter in the fall, he’ll probably play out the season as Russell’s backup and then transfer next winter. He’s got surprising athleticism for his build, but his calling card is the cannon attached to his right shoulder. If he can fine-tune his shots, especially on midrange throws, Alabama could certainly win with him.
2. Keelon Russell (RFr., 6-3, 201)
Strengths: One of the fastest releases in the college game, innate ability to scramble without giving up on the play that is called, sheds pressure and still stays pocket-based
Weaknesses: No experience except in blowouts, body type suggests he could wear down if exposed in the running game too much
Analysis: Russell had been behind Austin Mack for all of spring ball, until the lights went on at A-Day and Russell excelled while Mack had a bit of an up-and-down performance. If there was a way to list players “1” and “1A” for this article, we’d probably do it. We feel Russell will eventually become the starter in 2026, because his talent is just too much to ignore. His best attribute is probably his veteran-level pocket feel and ability to make rushers miss in close quarters. We said last year that Russell was the “next Michael Penix” that head coach Kalen DeBoer was looking for, but after seeing Russell for a year we think the ceiling could be even higher.
3. Jett Thomalla (Fr., 6-4, 229)
Strengths: Good frame and solid arm strength, field vision is more advanced than for most true freshmen, not a statue when he needs to run
Weaknesses: No experience yet, can still lock onto receivers especially when the call is some form of out-route
Analysis: Thomalla looked like the reincarnation of A.J. McCarron in the spring, a big-frame-but-athletic quarterback with a plus arm and some guile. His performance, along with that of Tayden-Evan Kaawa, gave Bama fans the excuse to exhale when thinking of what might happen should Mack or Russell opt to sit out and transfer following fall camp. DeBoer’s offensive style relies heavily on plus-level quarterback play, and time will tell whether Thomalla is that kind of guy, or whether he’s more in the “game manager” territory that fans grew accustomed to in the early and middle years of Nick Saban’s run.
4. Tayden-Evan Kaawa (Fr., 6-5, 238)
Strengths: Big but also strong and can defend himself in the pocket, not afraid to take his shots downfield
Weaknesses: No experience, mechanics a bit unpolished and simply needs some time to grow into his current level
Analysis: Kaawa was probably the surprise of A-Day simply from the standpoint that expectations were lower than the others, yet Kaawa showed the flashes of promise that Alabama coaches obviously saw in his prep film. He moves very well for a guy the size of a tight end, and the tools are all there – arm strength, pocket presence, confidence. What he lacks is any kind of experience, and given this depth chart he’s unlikely to get any before the end of 2026. Jett Thomalla is probably more ready to play now, which at this point is the principal element separating the two.
5. John Gazzaniga (RFr., 6-7, 245)
Strengths: Off-the-charts height, showed enough in spring to win a scholarship
Weaknesses: No experience, arm strength is average at best, not a statue but not a runner by any measure
Analysis: Gazzaniga came from nowhere in the fall of 2025 – we didn’t even have him listed with the other walk-ons until the week of the opener – and put in enough good work that he rose above the other veteran walk-ons on the roster and then won a scholarship coming out of spring camp. We’re not even sure how he got to Alabama from his home in Rancho Santa Margarta, Calif., but with DeBoer’s track record of quarterback development, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was a move made with an eye toward being a coach one day. If he continues to develop, though, Gazzaniga could well end up playing at a program of significance in the coming 3-4 years, although it likely won’t be at Alabama.