Insider makes a strong case for Austin Mack to win coveted Alabama job

Alabama quarterback Austin Mack is getting rave reviews from analysts in the quarterback battle brewing in Tuscaloosa to be the next Crimson Tide QB1. The situation has arisen after the departure of Jalen Milroe to the NFL via the upcoming draft.

Mack is in a battle with former QB2, Ty Simpson, and freshman Keelon Russell for the role.

On On3's YouTube podcast, analyst J. D Pickell made a strong case for Mack to win the Crimson Tide's QB1 battle (7:30):

"The intel at Alabama is, the expectation around this battle of Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell will go into August. Probably not getting a decision out of spring practice, which you can only imagine is going to benefit Keelon Russell, who is a freshman. But the intel out of Tuscaloosa is Austin Mack is looking pretty good. I'm not telling you he's gonna start, I'm not telling you he's the runaway favorite.

"I'm not even saying he's in the lead right now. But, the report is, Mack is looking pretty solid through just a few practices in Tuscaloosa. We haven't seen Mack play, we're not sitting here telling you we've watched all the film. But when you do the equation here with this QB room and how it shapes up with Mack, the process of elimination to me, lends itself to him having a good chance to win this job."

Jalen Milroe addresses Austin Mack and Co.'s battle

Jalen Milroe knows a thing or two about being in a battle to be the Alabama Crimson Tide's QB1. During coach Nick Saban's last season in charge, Milroe battled with Ty Simpson for the role which he got after three games. He kept it during new coach, Kalen DeBoer's sole season in charge of the Tide.

After Alabama's Pro Day, Milroe addressed the battle between Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell while speaking to the media.

"They're all great quarterbacks," Milroe said. "I know they have a bright future in front of them. They are around a great coaching staff, around a lot of people that care about them. Where they are at today, and where they are going to be at in the future is going to be even better because of the people that they have around them.

"And they are going to have a great support system around them to uplift them, so that they can be the best version of themselves."

In the battle to be Bama's QB1, Austin Mack has the advantage of being a student of Alabama's new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who coached him for the Washington Huskies. Mack followed coach Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa when he took over from Nick Saban last year.