Latest news with #AustinMack
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Alabama football OC Ryan Grubb believes Ty Simpson is right for starting QB job
Alabama football has its starting quarterback in Ty Simpson, and on Tuesday, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb explained why Simpson was the choice to lead the Crimson Tide in 2025. "Ty did a really nice job of taking care of the football, No. 1," Grubb said. "I think Ty is an incredible playmaker on the move, and guys like that, you worry 'are they going to be able to train themselves to take care of the football?' In the room in general, Ty led that charge. But Ty didn't throw any picks last week. He's thrown one all camp. We've thrown like four total this camp." On Monday, news of the coaching staff's selection of Simpson was broken by The Tuscaloosa News. He beat out redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell for the job. Grubb said no decision has been made on who will be the No. 2 quarterback. Last year, turnovers played a major role in Alabama's first season with four or more losses since 2007. With ball security as a mandate, Simpson, a fourth-year junior, led the quarterback competition throughout spring practice and into fall camp before being named the starter. He spent three years as an Alabama backup, first behind Bryce Young, then behind Jalen Milroe. Grubb added that poise and decision making were the two areas where Simpson has improved most. "His eyes would drop and he'd give up on stuff really quickly, because he's so athletic and can move," Grubb said. "Now I feel like he's very poised back there. Any time you have a guy who can balance those two things - be an explosive athlete out of the pocket, but also know he doesn't have to do that every time, I think that's the thing you love to see out of a guy like Ty." The Crimson Tide opens the season at Florida State on Aug. 30. Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@ Follow on @chasegoodbread. NEW STARTER NAMED: Ty Simpson named starting quarterback for Alabama football: Sources GOODBREAD: Why Alabama football's Ty Simpson is the right choice as UA's next starting QB This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why Alabama football OC Ryan Grubb was sold on Ty Simpson as QB starter
Ottawa Citizen
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Staying on the field is top priority for Alouettes receiver Austin Mack
Article content It would be premature to suggest Alouettes receiver Austin Mack was a one-season phenom, but he has been unable to duplicate his outstanding 2023 accomplishments since then. Article content The good news is there's plenty of football left this season. Now all Mack has to do is remain healthy after recurring injury issues. Article content 'It's part of the game,' Mack said this week after a practice at Stade Hébert. 'It's not always about talent. It's always about availability and being on the field. That's the biggest thing about being a pro — being able to manage through those and stay available for the team. Article content Article content 'As good of a player as I may be, if I'm on the sidelines, it's of no help to the team. It's making sure I do the little things, take care of the body and maximize the rest of the season on the field.' Article content Article content Mack, 27, was expected to return Thursday, when the Als met the defending Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM). The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and has struggled to remain healthy the last two seasons. Article content Mack, a former Ohio State Buckeye, arrived in Montreal in 2023 after NFL stints with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers. Signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he played 11 games as a rookie, catching nine passes for 91 yards. He was released the following season after being placed on injured reserve. Article content Article content Mack was one of the Als' most exciting players during their 2023 championship run. He had a team-leading 78 catches for 1,154 yards while scoring four touchdowns and was named a CFL all-star. He would have been a candidate for the league's outstanding rookie award, but his NFL stint made him ineligible. Article content The NFL's Atlanta Falcons took notice and he was signed as a free agent in 2024. Mack received a reported US$24,000 signing bonus, but was released after the Falcons' opening exhibition game. Still under contract to the Als, he returned to the team on Aug. 19 and played six days later against Edmonton. Article content Mack caught three passes for 32 yards in the Als' 21-17 victory, but was never able to find a groove with quarterbacks Cody Fajardo or Davis Alexander. It also likely didn't help Mack's cause that he was frequently deployed from the wider field side and not the boundary.
Montreal Gazette
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Staying on the field is top priority for Alouettes receiver Austin Mack
Montreal Alouettes By It would be premature to suggest Alouettes receiver Austin Mack was a one-season phenom, but he has been unable to duplicate his outstanding 2023 accomplishments since then. The good news is there's plenty of football left this season. Now all Mack has to do is remain healthy after recurring injury issues. 'It's part of the game,' Mack said this week after a practice at Stade Hébert. 'It's not always about talent. It's always about availability and being on the field. That's the biggest thing about being a pro — being able to manage through those and stay available for the team. 'As good of a player as I may be, if I'm on the sidelines, it's of no help to the team. It's making sure I do the little things, take care of the body and maximize the rest of the season on the field.' Mack, 27, was expected to return Thursday, when the Als met the defending Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN1, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM). The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and has struggled to remain healthy the last two seasons. Mack, a former Ohio State Buckeye, arrived in Montreal in 2023 after NFL stints with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers. Signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2020, he played 11 games as a rookie, catching nine passes for 91 yards. He was released the following season after being placed on injured reserve. Mack was one of the Als' most exciting players during their 2023 championship run. He had a team-leading 78 catches for 1,154 yards while scoring four touchdowns and was named a CFL all-star. He would have been a candidate for the league's outstanding rookie award, but his NFL stint made him ineligible. The NFL's Atlanta Falcons took notice and he was signed as a free agent in 2024. Mack received a reported US$24,000 signing bonus, but was released after the Falcons' opening exhibition game. Still under contract to the Als, he returned to the team on Aug. 19 and played six days later against Edmonton. Mack caught three passes for 32 yards in the Als' 21-17 victory, but was never able to find a groove with quarterbacks Cody Fajardo or Davis Alexander. It also likely didn't help Mack's cause that he was frequently deployed from the wider field side and not the boundary. He said the timing of his return, after the team had been established, was onerous. Nonetheless, realizing his potential, general manager Danny Maciocia signed Mack to a four-year contract extension. Mack also missed four games with an ankle injury, sustained during a practice, and was a healthy scratch when the Als travelled to B.C. on a short week. In three games, Mack caught 10 passes for 145 yards. While he was held to three receptions for 32 yards in Montreal's East Division final loss to the Argos, his 15-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter provided the team with a spark, pulling the Als to within 27-22. But Toronto held on for a 30-28 victory. 'That's absolutely the goal. I'm looking forward to staying healthy and being on the field,' he said. 'We play a contact sport. Unfortunately, there's a lot of nicks and bangs during the season. You don't feel as good as you do at the start of the year. Regardless, you've got to manage and make sure the body's good and you're available for the team.' Heading into Thursday's game, Mack has caught 12 passes for 185 yards. But that included an impressive performance against Ottawa on June 13, when he caught five passes for 103 yards in the Als' 39-18 win. There's no doubt the talent remains. 'There's a lot of ball left,' he said. 'I'm not worried. We've got a lot of games left. I'm excited to build with this team. We're phenomenal. We're dominant. In 2023, we didn't have five (receivers) everybody had confidence in that could go for 100 yards. It's definitely a different offence, where any one of us could go for 100 yards (in a game) and for 1,000 yards (over a season). 'All I care about is winning. If I'm getting the ball or not, helping our team to be the best that we can and be a good leader for our room. The biggest thing for me is staying on top of things and not getting any more setbacks. I'm ready to build some momentum and finish off this year strong.'
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kalen DeBoer did not look for Alabama football quarterback in NCAA transfer portal. Here's why
ATLANTA — Kalen DeBoer may not know who his starting quarterback will definitively be for Alabama football's season opener against Florida State Aug. 30. But he knows one thing for certain: there were no better options than what he had in Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. "I just felt like anyone reaching out to us or that was there, you could really not make an argument that they were better than what we had," DeBoer said at SEC media days. "That's just, hopefully, another level of confidence that we had some players in our program that we believe in: Ty, Austin and knowing Keelon was coming too. The skillsets are there. There's inexperience, and that's probably what you would be gaining if you brought someone in is experience. But there is also growth to our offense. There is also a level of understanding." No quarterback on Alabama's roster has 200 snaps of in-game experience according to Pro Football Focus. Simpson, the presumed favorite heading into fall camp July 30, is heading into his fourth season with the Crimson Tide. Simpson, DeBoer said, is the best example of how he wants his quarterback room to be built: "Just stay the course, just keep plugging away." "It's just honing in on the tools and the skillsets our guys have," DeBoer said. "I still feel like we made the right choice, and I feel like it ... adds to and sets the direction of what you want your culture to be. If I just continue to stay the course, if I continue to believe in the development I'm going to get from our coaching staff, that time will come." DeBoer was also complimentary of both Mack and Russell, saying he wants "all three of them to have success." And that stems back to why DeBoer didn't feel he needed the portal to decide who the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback would be. "Just a lot of feelings that we had what we needed," DeBoer said. "Probably the better way to put it is what we felt was out there really was not much better than what we had, if at all." Alabama opens the 2025 season at Florida State Aug. 30. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@ or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kalen DeBoer did not look for Alabama football quarterback in NCAA transfer portal
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama football 2025 season preview, predictions: Austin Mack
Throughout the offseason, a majority of talk across college football surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide football program has been about one position, quarterback. After multi-year starter Jalen Milroe departed for the NFL, Alabama has three quarterbacks who are competing for the starting job this offseason, one of which is a returning name in Austin Mack. A new face to Alabama last season, Mack was one of the more high-profile names who followed head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington, and after sitting a vast majority of last season, now looks to make an impact during year two in Tuscaloosa. Here is everything you need to know about Alabama quarterback Austin Mack entering the 2025 season. Austin Mack player information Austin Mack career stats Mack is entering his third season of college football in 2025, as well as his second at Alabama, after beginning his collegiate career back in 2023 as a true freshman at Washington. However, Mack has not seen much action during his two seasons in college so far, appearing in only one game where he completed 2-of-3 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. Austin Mack 2024 stats As mentioned previously, Mack has not seen much action so far in college, but that one appearance did come last season for the Crimson Tide. Coming against Mercer, Mack completed 2-of-3 pass attempts for 39 yards and a touchdown. Austin Mack recruiting ranking Coming out of high school, Mack was considered as the nation's No. 230 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. A four-star prospect prior to attending Washington, Mack was also considered as the nation's No. 16 overall quarterback, as well as the No. 18 player in the state of California where he attended Folsom High School. Prior to arriving at Alabama, Mack was considered by 247Sports as the No. 67 overall player in the 2024 transfer portal cycle, as well as the No. 9 quarterback. Austin Mack 2025 season outlook When taking a look at Mack's 2025 outlook, just how much the redshirt sophomore will play likely depends where the quarterback is situated on the depth chart coming out of fall camp. Battling with Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell for the starting spot, Mack is likely not the favorite to win the job as we enter fall camp, but it is still an open competition. What is arguably the more likely talking point for Mack entering fall camp is however the competition for the No. 2 spot, something that will likely determine if the former four-star plays a similar amount to a year ago as a third-string or more as the primary backup option. Overall, expect Mack to play more in 2025 than a year ago, but for the redshirt sophomore to likely remain in a backup role. Austin Mack 2025 season prediction Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
