Alabama's spring game offers a glimpse of the Tide's next starting QB, Mack or Russell

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama didn't need to turn to the transfer portal or the recruiting trail to find a replacement for potential first-round draft pick Ty Simpson.

The Crimson Tide had two options waiting for a shot.

Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, the two guys Simpson beat out to start last fall, have spent spring practice vying for the job. Coach Kalen DeBoer has declined to offer much detail on any separation, but the team's annual spring game Saturday could provide a glimpse into the competition.

“Getting a lot of good reps,” DeBoer said. ”I love the aggressiveness that they have. They're not gun shy. They go and make plays, attacking whenever they get the right opportunities with the throws. And they're making the throws."

Replacing Simpson, who threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading Alabama to the College Football Playoff, is one of many offensive changes for the Tide in 2026.

DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb are trying to replace eight starters on that side of the ball. The list includes Simpson, four offensive linemen, receiver Germie Bernard, tight end Josh Cuevas and running back Jam Miller.

Alabama also made a change at quarterbacks coach, with tight ends coach Bryan Ellis getting elevated to replace Nick Sheridan, who was hired as offensive coordinator at Michigan State.

But Ryan Coleman-Williams is back with a new number and should provide a go-to target for whoever ends up taking snaps in the season opener against East Carolina on Sept. 5.

“The guys are coming through, making plays and catches for them," DeBoer said. "I think they’re gaining more confidence in the offensive line each and every day. That’s going to take time; there’s a lot of (new) faces up front. ... They’re clear with their communication. There’s not a lot that’s catching them off guard, so they can go out and let their skills speak for themselves and make the plays.”

Mack, a redshirt junior, followed DeBoer from Washington in 2024. The 6-foot-6 Californian appeared in four games last season, completing 24 of 32 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.

His most notable appearance came when he filled in for Simpson in a loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Mack completed 11 of 16 passes for 103 yards and led the Tide to its only score in the 38-3 drubbing.

Russell, a redshirt freshman, is the highest-rated recruit to sign with Alabama in the modern era, according to 247 Sports. The 6-foot-3 Texan appeared in two games in 2025 — against Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Illinois — and completed 11 of 15 passes for 143 yards and two scores.

“One of the biggest things this year was to get smarter,” Russell said during Rose Bowl preparations. “Understanding the offense, just building my confidence level. I feel like I’ve grown, developed and feel like I’m becoming more of an NFL-ready quarterback.”

The Tide would settle for finding a college-ready guy, the next in line at a place that's enjoyed Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Bryce Young, Jalen Milroe and Simpson over the last decade.

“Obviously, Keelon is a really, really good athlete,” Grubb said. “I think his feet probably come into play. I think you saw it in the Rose Bowl, obviously Austin can run a little bit. ... It’s not like Austin can’t run, but there is a piece of athleticism there with Keelon that’s different from some guys.

“As far as arm talent, they’re both supremely talented as far as pushing the ball all over the field. There’s not going to be a throw I have in the game plan that I have for one but couldn’t do with the other. Both have quick releases. Accuracy is something they’re both working on. But very similar guys. I don’t think other than Keelon’s feet, there’s a massive difference, other than size.”

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FILE - Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer talks with visitors during Alabama's NFL football pro day, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)

FILE - Indiana defensive back Devan Boykin, right, sacks Alabama quarterback Austin Mack during the second half of the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

FILE - Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell (12) warms up before the first round of an NCAA College Football Playoff against Oklahoma, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. prosecutors asked a judge Monday to dismiss criminal fraud and conspiracy charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who had been accused of duping Wall Street investors who poured billions of dollars into a massive solar project in India.

Adani, one of the world's richest people, was accused in 2024 of paying massive bribes to ensure the project's success. He was indicted in federal court in Brooklyn on charges of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud charges in connection with a lucrative arrangement for Adani Green Energy Ltd. and another firm to sell 12 gigawatts of solar power to the Indian government to light millions of homes and businesses.

The Adani Group denied the allegations at the time, calling them baseless.

“The Department of Justice has reviewed this case and has decided, in its prosecutorial discretion, not to devote further resources to these criminal charges against individual defendants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

The filing bore the names of Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter and Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr.

Judge Nicholas Garaufis must still approve the request.

Lawyers for Adani and his co-defendants consented to the request, prosecutors said.

Adani's lawyer, Robert Giuffra, declined to comment. Lawyers Timothy Sini and Sean Hecker, who represent Adani’s nephew and co-defendant Sagar Adani, also declined comment.

Adani was never arrested in the case or brought to the U.S. to face trial and some in India long expected the case would be shelved after President Donald Trump last year suspended enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a U.S. law banning business bribes overseas.

The move to drop the charges comes after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said it was settling a related lawsuit against Adani.

Adani built his fortune in the coal business in the 1990s and, over time, the Adani Group embraced a diverse portfolio, investing in industries like renewable energy, defense and agriculture.

The company amassed a clean energy portfolio that included one of the world’s largest solar power plants, and had set a goal of becoming the country’s biggest player in the space by 2030. Adani had close ties with India’s government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But the company also had its critics.

Short-seller Hindenburg Research, a U.S.-based financial research firm, has accused Adani and his company of “brazen stock manipulation” and “accounting fraud.” The Adani Group labeled the claims “a malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations.”

When they charged Adani in 2024, U.S. prosecutors in New York said he and others played two sides of the solar deal, enticing investors with a rosy portrayal that the project was above board while offering $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative contracts.

After the case was announced, Kenya’s president canceled multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with Adani. Adani Green Energy withdrew its wind energy projects from Sri Lanka after the country sought to renegotiate prices, while a French oil giant also paused new investments.

Analysts say a key factor in Adani’s meteoric rise over the years has been his knack for aligning his group’s priorities with those of the Modi government. His critics accuse him of crony capitalism and of gaining preferential treatment from the government, including in winning contracts, which the group has denied.

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Adani’s first name. It is Gautam, not Gautaum.

FILE - Gautam Adani, Indian billionaire and chairman of Adani Group, presides over the 51st Gems and Jewelry awards function in Jaipur, India, on Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo, File)