Alabama will face one of the SEC’s elite quarterbacks in LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier on Saturday. The redshirt junior ranked second in the conference in passing yards per game with 328.38 and touchdowns with 20. He commands a Tigers offense full of elite playmakers that has led to LSU to have the No. 6 passing offense so far this season.

As the Crimson Tide prepares for a make-or-break matchup against the Tigers, Alabama has relied on a newcomer quarterback to play the role of Nussmeier in practice. During his weekly “Hey Coach” radio show, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said Washington transfer quarterback Austin Mack has done a good job simulating what Alabama might see from Nussmeier on Saturday.

“Austin Mack’s done a great job just in general giving a lot of different looks,” DeBoer told host Crimson Tide Sports Network Host Chris Stewart. “He’s tall and so you’re not gonna block your defensive line as well with your guys that are giving a look. So for him to be able to see and make those throws and he doesn’t maybe have the same stature as Nussmeier and the mobility and things like that but just being able to deliver those throws. Austin’s done a great job.”

Mack joined Alabama this offseason after following DeBoer from Washington. The redshirt freshman hasn’t seen the field yet this season, sitting behind Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson on the Tide’s depth chart.

The 6-foot-6, 226-pound pocket passer completed 70.4% of his passes for 3,498 yards and 40 touchdowns with just five interceptions during his junior season at northern California powerhouse Folsom High School. Mack reclassified to the Class of 2023 and joined DeBoer at Washington where he sat behind Micheal Penix Jr. last season.

“He’s just got a really great head on his shoulders,” DeBoer said of Mack in January. “He’s young, and for him to do what he did with us this last year, he reclassified and really learned the offense as fast as anyone I’ve ever seen at that age.”

As Mack continues to soak in DeBoer’s system, his ability in the pocket should allow him to become a potential long-term option at quarterback for Alabama in future seasons. Both he and Simpson have strong potential and Mack’s involvement in Alabama’s prep for LSU reflects just how solid Tide’s depth in the quarterback room behind Milroe is.

“I think he's an incredible worker and a very committed football player,” Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said of Mack in August. “He has poured into it and I think he keeps getting better and better. I think his best football is still ahead of him, which is super exciting."

Alabama faces LSU at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The game will be broadcast on ABC.