Just like every other offseason where Alabama football’s starting quarterback job is up for grabs, the position battle is the talk of the offseason. With Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell all vying for the gig, Kalen DeBoer rarely gets through an offseason interview without being asked about it.

An appearance on Greg McElroy’s Always College Football podcast, released Monday, was no exception. The former Alabama signal-caller asked DeBoer when he was hoping to have his Week 1 starter chosen by.

The coach said he hoped to have one set by “the last week-and-a-half” leading into UA’s season-opener against Florida State.

“We usually have a little bit longer of a phase of game (week), we call them bonus practices leading up to Week 1, and there’s a weekend before and then a few days before that.” DeBoer said. “That’s kind of when you really for sure like to have the starter named and him be able to start really being in sync with his receiving corps, gelling that way and really dialing in on the reps. But if you feel like you’re at the point earlier, it’s been a few practices earlier, maybe a week earlier at some point.”

After spring practice concluded, Alabama’s coaching staff revealed that Simpson was the clubhouse leader for the job replacing Jalen Milroe. The redshirt junior served as the Crimson Tide’s primary backup for the past two seasons.

Simpson continues to face strong competition from Mack, who followed DeBoer from Washington and is the only QB of the group who was recruited primarily by new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and the true freshman Russell, who was a five-star prospect and Elite 11 MVP whose commitment Alabama flipped from SMU.

During the Monday podcast, McElroy asked DeBoer what was the most important trait he needed to see from a potential starter.

“People sometimes get caught up into who’s great now? Who had the best completion percentage and all those things?” DeBoer said. “Those are all important, right? But, I think in the end, it’s who’s moving the ball down the field for the ones, the twos, the most consistently when you’re here in practice each and every day.”

Alabama will begin preseason camp in early August. The Crimson Tide opens the 2025 season, DeBoer’s second in charge after replacing the retired Nick Saban, at Florida State on Aug. 30.