Alabama added a future name to its already talent-rich quarterback room on Tuesday, as it flipped Jett Thomalla from Iowa State.

Thomalla, the No. 21 quarterback and No. 247 overall player in the 2026 class, is one of the most promising passers in the nation. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Omaha, Nebraska native is coming off a breakout junior season in which he completed 250 of 359 passes (69.6%) for 3,663 yards and 47 touchdowns with three interceptions. While he won’t join the Crimson Tide until the end of the year, he offers insurance to a quarterback room that could be in flux by the end of the upcoming season.

Alabama’s currently looking to find Jalen Milroe’s successor behind center. Redshirt junior Ty Simpson still leads the Tide’s quarterback race, but he is being pushed hard by redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and five-star true freshman Keelon Russell.

Alabama will have all three of those passers for the upcoming campaign. However, in today’s transfer climate, it will be difficult to keep everyone on board in 2026.

Here’s a projected look at several possibilities and how they could alter the future of Alabama’s quarterback position.

This would be the ideal scenario for Alabama. Simpson would essentially be following Mac Jones’ footsteps, waiting his turn behind a pair of future NFL quarterbacks before using a breakout season to propel his draft stock.

A standout season from Simpson likely means a deep playoff run for Alabama. Meanwhile, his departure next offseason would clear the way for the Tide’s quarterback of the future, similar to how Jones passed the torch to Bryce Young in 2021.

In this scenario, Mack and Russell would compete for the starting role next spring while Thomalla develops behind the scenes.

Here’s where things get interesting. Let’s say Simpson puts together a solid season this fall but elects to return for his final year of eligibility. What would that do for the remainder of Alabama’s quarterback room?

Assuming Simpson develops into a dependable option behind center, it would be hard to unseat him as a returning starter. That being said, his return would almost certainly result in at least one departure in the quarterback room.

In the event Simpson returns, Alabama might be able to convince one of this season’s backups to remain patient. However, it’s hard to imagine either Mack or Russell would accept being the third-string option for consecutive years. It’s even possible that both would leave, which would force Alabama to add another option from the transfer portal to back up Simpson while Thomalla prepares to possibly take over the reins in his second season.

Simpson might be the leader at the moment, but Alabama still hasn’t settled on its next starter. There’s also no guarantee the redshirt junior holds onto the job throughout the fall if he breaks camp as the Tide’s QB1.

In this scenario, Mack either makes a surge during preseason camp or supplants a struggling Simpson sometime during the season. The latter of those two scenarios likely means early losses for the Tide. Both options would shake up the Tide’s quarterback room for the future.

If Simpson gets passed over this season, he’ll look to spend his final year of eligibility at a place where he can start. Meanwhile, it might be difficult to hold onto Russell, considering Mack would still have two years of eligibility remaining.

Mack is draft-eligible next year, so he could theoretically bolt for the NFL after a breakout season as the starter. Maybe he steps in for Simpson and puts up Heisman-caliber numbers. If so, his 6-foot-6, 236-pound frame already projects perfectly for the next level. However, that scenario seems far-fetched at the moment.

More than likely, Mack would return in this scenario. In that case, Alabama’s first option would be to retain Russell as his backup. If that was unsuccessful, the Tide would turn to the transfer portal.

Russell has the highest ceiling in Alabama’s quarterback room, and most project him as the Tide’s future behind center. But what if that future comes early?

It’s unlikely Russell jumps Simpson and Mack by the beginning of the season. However, once the five-star talent finds his footing, he’ll be hard to keep off the field. Early struggles at the quarterback position might see Alabama look to the future and break in Russell midway through the fall. If so, expect the Tide’s other two passers to depart next offseason.

If Russell ascends into a starting role this fall, he figures to remain Alabama’s QB 1 until he’s draft-eligible following the 2027 season. That means both Simpson and Mack would likely look for new programs next offseason. At that point, Alabama might bring in another freshman quarterback along with Thomalla in the 2026 class. It would also look for a veteran backup option out of the transfer portal.