Alabama Crimson Tide Wrap Up Spring Practice with A-Day Scrimmage

Redshirt freshman QB Keelon Russell shines, but starting job still up for grabs

Apr. 11, 2026 at 11:04pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college football game, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of crimson and white colors.Alabama's annual A-Day scrimmage provides a first look at the Crimson Tide's 2026 roster, with promising young talent emerging but also injury concerns.Tuscaloosa Today

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team held its annual A-Day spring scrimmage on Saturday, giving fans and media their first look at the 2026 squad under third-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. While there were no final scores or official stats, the offense and defense went head-to-head in a back-and-forth affair, with redshirt freshman QB Keelon Russell standing out. However, DeBoer said the starting QB job is still up for grabs, with redshirt junior Austin Mack limited due to injury. The team also got a chance to evaluate its incoming transfers and freshmen, though NC State WR transfer Noah Rogers suffered a leg injury during the scrimmage.

Why it matters

Alabama's annual A-Day spring game is a highly anticipated event for the Crimson Tide faithful, as it provides the first glimpse of the team's roster and potential starters for the upcoming season. With a new head coach in Kalen DeBoer, this year's scrimmage was especially important to gauge the progress of the team and identify any emerging stars or position battles.

The details

The scrimmage featured the offense and defense going head-to-head, with the crimson team representing the offense and the white team representing the defense. The teams started with drives at the 30-yard line before moving up to the 45 and then finishing in the red zone. Redshirt freshman QB Keelon Russell had the best performance of the Alabama quarterbacks, though DeBoer said redshirt junior Austin Mack was limited this week due to injury. The Crimson Tide also got a chance to evaluate its incoming transfers and freshmen, with NC State WR transfer Noah Rogers standing out before suffering a leg injury that required him to be carted off the field.

  • The Alabama Crimson Tide held its annual A-Day spring scrimmage on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
  • Alabama will wrap up spring practice next week with two more practices in Tuscaloosa.
  • The Crimson Tide opens the 2026 season on September 5 against East Carolina.

The players

Kalen DeBoer

The head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, now in his third year leading the program.

Keelon Russell

A redshirt freshman quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide who had the best performance of the team's quarterbacks in the A-Day scrimmage.

Austin Mack

A redshirt junior quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide who was limited in the A-Day scrimmage due to injury.

Noah Rogers

A wide receiver transfer from NC State who stood out with the first-team offense before suffering a leg injury during the A-Day scrimmage.

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What they’re saying

“Good back-and-forth. Much like we did in the other scrimmages, you can see how we orchestrated with the ball and where we spot it, so there's some advantages for the offense towards the end. We've got to get that red zone work in. There's a lot of things to learn, a lot of situational things we can get better at.”

— Kalen DeBoer, Head Coach, Alabama Crimson Tide

“Rogers could not put weight on his leg and was later carted to the locker room with a brace on his left leg. He will need further evaluation according to DeBoer.”

— Kalen DeBoer, Head Coach, Alabama Crimson Tide

What’s next

Alabama will wrap up spring practice next week with two more practices in Tuscaloosa before the players scatter for the offseason. The Crimson Tide opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against East Carolina.

The takeaway

This year's A-Day scrimmage provided an important first look at the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide squad, with the team's new starting quarterback still to be determined but several promising young players emerging, including redshirt freshman QB Keelon Russell. However, the injury to NC State transfer Noah Rogers was a concerning development that will require further evaluation.