The school’s NIL announced collective On Friday the two had signed agreements to stay at the school. Mack was Ty Simpson’s backup in 2025, while Russell was a five-star recruit in the 2025 class.
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His return to Alabama in 2026 will likely take the Tide out of the race for a transfer portal quarterback, as the two competed with Simpson for the starting job ahead of the 2025 season before Simpson was announced as Alabama’s Week 1 starter. He held the position all season and declared for the 2026 NFL Draft earlier in the week. Simpson completed 305 of 473 passes for 3,567 yards and 28 TDs with five interceptions in 15 games in 2025.
Simpson was forced to leave Alabama’s 38-3 loss in the Rose Bowl in the second half with an undisclosed injury. Mack replaced him and completed 11 of 16 passes for 103 yards.
Mack followed Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington after the 2023 season. He backed up Michael Penix Jr. when the Huskies reached the national title game and then was on the roster behind Jalen Milroe and Simpson in 2024. He will be a redshirt junior in 2026.
Russell will be a redshirt freshman after appearing in two games during the 2025 season. The Texas native was the second-drafted quarterback in the country behind Michigan’s Bryce Underwood coming out of high school and was also the No. 2 overall player in his class. Mack was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023 and the No. 16 quarterback in the country.