Why 2025 was Austin Mack's 'biggest leap so far' as Alabama football QB
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LOS ANGELES — Austin Mack is not really into the whole social media thing. But the Alabama football redshirt sophomore quarterback has heard the noise, even if it’s noise he hasn’t paid attention to.
Three years into his five seasons of collegiate eligibility — one at Washington and two at Alabama — Mack has played 48 total snaps. He has three touchdown passes and one touchdown run to his name, completing 78.9% of his 19 career pass attempts for 164 yards.
And while NCAA transfer portal buzz swirls around a player like Mack in a room with a five-star freshman in Keelon Russell and a starting quarterback in Ty Simpson with one more season of eligibility, Mack is not buying in.
“I know everybody has their own journey,” Mack told The Tuscaloosa News. “Everybody has their own path, whether it’s they want to play as a freshman or they are willing to wait until they are one of the best versions of themselves at that moment to go play. And I feel like I’m one of those guys that wants to be prepared when I step out into that field, especially playing the quarterback position.
“I feel like, right now, I am.”
But Mack isn’t focused on the future. He’s focused on where his feet are: being one step away from taking snaps in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the 2026 Rose Bowl.
“Right now, I’m really focused on this moment right now because I know I am one play away from playing in this game,” Mack said. “Obviously not wishing for that, absolutely, but I know that I got to be ready. I’m one play from playing in the Rose Bowl vs. Indiana. That’s kind of where my mind’s at, just taking each day, practice and then just preparing as if I was a starter.”
In 2025, Mack has completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 125 passing yards with two touchdown passes and a touchdown rush against Louisiana Monroe, Wisconsin and Eastern Illinois.
Mack calls 2025 his “biggest leap so far,” a season where he’s gotten more into the rhythm of being a college quarterback, seeing what it takes to become “the guy” like Simpson has been.
Mack knows what Russell can be for Alabama too. Mack calls the five-star freshman “one of the most talented players I have ever been around.”
“Coach (Ryan) Grubb has said it before. This QB room has three NFL guys,” Mack said. “And I firmly believe that.”
Mack remains present-minded, letting the chips fall where they may ahead as the calendar turns from 2025 to 2026.
“Everything will play out as it’s supposed to,” Mack said.
Alabama plays Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the 2026 Rose Bowl at 3:10 p.m. CT Thursday, Jan. 1.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why 2025 was Austin Mack’s ‘biggest leap so far’ as Alabama QB
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