Ex-Husky QB Austin Mack Makes College Debut at Alabama

The former UW player threw a touchdown pass in his first outing.

Crimson Tide quarterbacks Jalen Milroe (4) and Austin Mack embrace before playing Vanderbilt. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

This past Saturday in Tuscaloosa, the Alabama Crimson Tide were safely ahead by five touchdowns with just five minutes remaining against hopelessly overmatched Mercer when Austin Mack was summoned from the sideline to make his college football debut.

In a handful of snaps, the former University of Washington quarterback did not disappoint.

He missed on his first pass, then completed one for 8 yards. With 3:36 remaining, the 6-foot-6, 236-pound redshirt freshman from Loomis, California, calmly stood in the pocket and lobbed a 31-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Rico Scott, putting the capper on a 52-7 victory for the Crimson Tide.

"After I threw the touchdown, I kind of blacked out for a moment," Mack told the Crimson Sports Network. "It was no way did that just happen."

A year ago, Mack was the UW's third-string quarterback, someone who gave up his senior season at Folsom High School -- where Husky signal-caller Jake Browning played before him -- to reclassify and play in 2023 for Kalen DeBoer.

The former Husky coach convinced him to come to Montlake early to learn from Michael Penix Jr. He didn't appear in any games last season. It didn't matter.

"I watched Mike work," Mack said. "That experience was incredible."

Against Mercer, an FCS school from Macon, Georgia, it was finally time to take the wraps off a player who stands to be one of the best in the country when his time comes to take over at Alabama.

"Even at Washington, I'd never been in a game before, so having my first snaps being here was definitely a crazy experience," Mack said. "I did my best to keep calm and run the offense as best I could."

Then Huskies quarterback Austin Mack heads to the field for the 2024 national championship game in Houston. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As he continues to develop, Mack has directed the scout team each week against Alabama's No. 1 defense, so it's not like he hasn't been playing in a competitive setting.

He's content to let everything unfold in a uniform manner. He came to Washington because of DeBoer and he transferred to Alabama because of DeBoer. He arrived in the South having never visited the state of Alabama before, having never seen the campus at all.

"Me and DeBoer have a really good relationship," Mack said. "He really made Washington feel like home. That'was one of the biggest reasons I chose Washington was for Coach DeBoer. Even when DeBoer announced [he was leaving for Alabama], him and me had a conversation. I said, 'I chose to come to Washington for you. I'm going to stick with you.' "

Mack actually was one of five Alabama quarterbacks who played against Mercer, four of them in the fourth quarter. Starter Jalen Milrose gave way to sophomore back-up Ty Simpson, who turned the game over to redshirt freshman Dylan Lonergan. who handed everything to Mack in mid-series, who stepped aside to let junior walk-on Cade Carruth make his college debut on the final Crimson Tide possession..

Austin Mack towers over his UW teammates in 2023. / Skylar Lin Visuals

It's competitive in Tuscaloosa, something that's not been lost on Mack, the former Husky quarterback for a minute.

"If I'm going to play here, I have to be at a certain level," he said. "I know that."

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