Alabama
Who starts at Alabama, Tennessee? Monitoring the most notable post-portal QB battles
With Darian Mensah now headed to Miami, all of the notable transfer quarterbacks will have been accounted for during this recent wave of roster movement. In addition, all of the top high school recruits have signed, and all of the NFL Draft declarations have been made.
So, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what most quarterback position groups will look like in 2026 — most, but not all.
Let’s take a look at some of the schools where things aren’t quite settled.
Note: Schools are listed in alphabetical order. All recruiting rankings are from the 247Sports Composite.
Alabama
Ty Simpson led the Crimson Tide back to the College Football Playoff and has the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to a shallow quarterback class. That leaves the starting job open in Tuscaloosa.
Redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell are the two main candidates. Mack served as the Crimson Tide’s backup this past season and was forced into action in the Rose Bowl when Simpson cracked a rib during the game. Russell was the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle and the QB many view as the future of the program.
Mack completed 24 of 32 attempts for 228 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. Russell completed 11 of 15 for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Russell probably has the higher ceiling, but Mack has spent more time in the offense.
Alabama also signed two quarterbacks during the 2026 recruiting cycle: top-100 prospect Jett Thomalla and three-star Tayden Kaawa.
Arkansas
KJ Jackson started the regular-season finale against Missouri and played extensively the week before against Texas. He finished the 2025 season with 33 completions in 54 attempts for 441 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
That was under a different coaching staff, though. Ryan Silverfield has taken over, and he brought AJ Hill — a four-star Class of 2025 signee — with him from Memphis. Arkansas also signed Division II Angelo State transfer Braeden Fuller.
It seems like it’ll come down to Jackson and Hill. Jackson is the more experienced player, but not by a wide margin (58 career attempts to 32 by Hill). Hill has familiarity with Silverfield, which could give him an edge.
Duke
The Blue Devils find themselves on this list after Mensah put the program in an unenviable position by leaving just as the transfer portal window was closing. Henry Belin IV was the only other quarterback who threw a pass for Duke last season, but he transferred to Missouri State.
San Jose State transfer Walker Eget recently committed to Duke, but he needs to get a waiver from the NCAA to play in 2026. Eget started most of the past two seasons for the Spartans and passed for 5,555 yards, 30 touchdowns and 19 interceptions in that time. He is experienced and has a live arm — and is probably the best the Blue Devils could hope for at this point.
Duke also brought in North Alabama transfer Ari Patu, who began his career at Stanford. Dan Mahan was a three-star signee in the Blue Devils’ 2025 class and remains in the program.
San Jose State transfer Walker Egat will need to get a waiver from the NCAA to play in 2026. (Marco Garcia / Imagn Images)
Georgia Tech
Haynes King was a tough, resilient player who represented everything Georgia Tech wants to be as a program under Brent Key. Now there will be a competition to replace him.
Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother of the Heisman Trophy winner, is the favorite. We mostly saw Mendoza late in the Hoosiers’ blowout wins this past season. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 190 yards and a score.
Graham Knowles, like Mendoza, a member of the Class of 2024, will also get a look. Knowles was the higher-rated recruit and has been at Georgia Tech longer.
And there’s Grady Adamson, a redshirt freshman who was ranked No. 665 overall in the Class of 2025. But if Georgia Tech’s staff had confidence in Knowles or Adamson, why did they bring in Mendoza?
Ole Miss
This won’t be interesting if starter Trinidad Chambliss receives an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA. If he does, Ole Miss will probably be a preseason top-five team and Chambliss will be a Heisman Trophy contender.
If he is not granted the extra year, the Rebels will be in a complicated spot. Ole Miss signed Auburn transfer Deuce Knight, a Mississippi native who was a five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle. He certainly has a high ceiling, but it’ll be tough to roll with a first-year starter coming off the great postseason run Ole Miss had and against a 2026 schedule that includes Louisville, LSU, Florida, Vanderbilt, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma, among others.
Louisiana transfer Walker Howard returned to the program after a year away and seemingly will be nothing more than a depth piece.
We shouldn’t forget about AJ Maddox, another Mississippi native who spent the past two seasons with the program and was a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
If Chambliss comes back, this will be about the pecking order behind him.
Syracuse
Steve Angeli threw for 1,317 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in four games before suffering a torn Achilles late in a win at Clemson. Syracuse lost eight consecutive games after Angeli’s injury.
He will be the starter if healthy, but is in the midst of a complicated recovery. Coach Fran Brown wanted to add depth at the position to avoid another free fall like Syracuse experienced in 2025.
The Orange added Kennesaw State transfer Amari Odom, who led the Owls to the Conference USA championship and threw for 2,594 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 347 yards and seven scores. That’s a good secondary option to have.
They also signed UTEP transfer Malachi Nelson, a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle who began his career at USC before transferring to Boise State and then UTEP. Nelson finally earned a starting role last season with the Miners but was replaced after five games. He’s now at his fourth school in as many years.
Tennessee
Here’s another situation that rests on an eligibility ruling. If Joey Aguilar receives an additional year, then Tennessee has a proven commodity at quarterback. Aguilar threw for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 picks in 2025.
If he doesn’t, the Volunteers will be forced to go with a relatively inexperienced option. Last season’s backup, Jake Merklinger, transferred to UConn.
George MacIntyre, a fringe top-150 prospect in the 2025 cycle, is back for his second season. The program added Colorado transfer Ryan Staub, who started one game for the Buffaloes last season. It’s difficult to envision him as a true starting option.
All eyes will be on five-star freshman Faizon Brandon, who was the No. 6 overall player in the 2026 recruiting cycle. It feels like Brandon is the future of the program, but it’s a matter of when he takes over that remains the question.
UCF
The Knights ranked 90th in scoring offense (24.3 ppg) in Scott Frost’s first year back at the helm, so the unit needs more punch. They added that by bringing in James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett, who threw for 2,806 yards, rushed for 589 and accounted for 38 total touchdowns while leading the Dukes to a Sun Belt title and CFP appearance.
Barnett provides the dual-threat ability that Frost’s offense needs. He seems like the frontrunner for the starting role, but UCF also brought in FIU transfer Keyone Jenkins, who has three years of starting experience.
Virginia
Chandler Morris was denied an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, which opens the door for a quarterback competition in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers signed Beau Pribula, who was Missouri’s starter last season. Pribula is a good athlete, but he’s still raw as a passer. He threw 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions last season, with eight of those TDs coming against non-SEC competition.
Virginia also brought in Pitt transfer Eli Holstein, who opened the 2025 season as the Panthers’ starter but was benched after four games.
Both players have had good moments, but they both have flaws.
Virginia Tech
Ethan Grunkemeyer did some good things down the stretch for Penn State last season and has familiarity with coach James Franklin and the staff at Virginia Tech.
Those factors give him a leg up for the starting job. But the Hokies also added North Carolina transfer Bryce Baker, who was a former top-100 prospect and Bill Belichick’s first major signee with the Tar Heels. It was good to take a flier on Baker’s potential and see what comes of it.
Virginia Tech signed four-star prospect Troy Huhn, who had been committed to Franklin at Penn State.
There’s a decent amount of talent at this position, but not much experience.
Huntsville-based defense contractor LOGZONE Inc. has agreed to pay $507,144 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts with the U.S. Department of the Navy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act alleging that LOGZONE knowingly submitted claims for payment while not meeting certain cybersecurity standards required under two Navy contracts.
Federal officials alleged that between May 2021 and March 2025, LOGZONE did not implement specific cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171. The standards are designed to protect sensitive defense information handled by government contractors.
According to the Justice Department, the deficiencies were identified during an assessment conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). The evaluation resulted in LOGZONE receiving a score of -170 on a scale ranging from -203 to 110, indicating significant gaps in compliance with required security controls.
The government alleged that the missing cybersecurity measures could have increased the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information or the exploitation of company systems.
The settlement does not include a determination of liability. As part of the agreement, LOGZONE will pay $507,144 to resolve the allegations.
Federal officials said the enforcement action reflects ongoing efforts to ensure government contractors comply with cybersecurity obligations tied to federal contracts, particularly those involving sensitive defense information.
The investigation and settlement involved the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
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Alabama
Alabama’s Self-Proclaimed ‘AI Watchman’ Unseats Incumbent Public Service Commissioner – Inside Climate News
MOBILE, Ala.—Jim Zeigler didn’t have much time to celebrate.
The morning after his Republican primary victory on Tuesday and a gathering of supporters at Wintzell’s Oyster House, the 78-year-old hit the road early to drive the nearly four hours to his hometown of Sylacauga, southwest of Birmingham, to attend a funeral.
But even this early, Zeigler already had his mind on November.
“It’s going to be a tough, tough race,” Zeigler said.
He may be right.
Like Republicans across the South, Zeigler pointed to recent public service commission elections in Georgia—two Republican to Democratic flips—as a seeming electoral mandate from voters: Lower energy bills and curb data centers, or face citizens’ wrath at the ballot box.
But, Zeigler said, he believes Democrats’ success in Georgia also came because of an influx of campaign cash from out-of-state donors—a challenge he said he anticipates Alabama Republicans in utility regulation races will face in November as well.
“It’s not only a possibility that kind of campaign will be attempted in Alabama,” Zeigler said. “It sneaked up on the Republicans of Georgia. It won’t sneak up on me.”
The election of a Democrat to one of Alabama’s at-large PSC seats would be a major electoral shakeup. The last Democrat to serve on the body was elected in 2008.
Zeigler said his aim in the campaign—both in the primary and general—is to channel voters’ frustrations about data centers and solar farms.
It was those issues, according to Zeigler, that put him past the finish line in the race against his Republican opponent, Chris Beeker, an incumbent with a 5 to 1 campaign finance advantage.
Beeker, who was appointed to serve the remainder of his father’s term, ran a much less vocal campaign, a stark contrast to Zeigler’s.
During his campaign, Zeigler has promised he will serve as an “AI watchman in Alabama,” shielding residents from the economic and environmental burdens of the data centers that power AI technology.
He said he will soon begin rolling out a detailed plan about how he’ll conduct that oversight. One of the first things that should be made public, Zeigler said, is a list of all data centers in Alabama currently operating, proposed or under construction.
“Right now there is no such a list available to the public,” Zeigler said.
Both Alabama Power and the Alabama Public Service Commission have declined requests by Inside Climate News for such a list.
Still, despite Zeigler’s pledges, the ability of he or any other public service commissioner to regulate industry effectively will soon be more limited than ever before. Earlier this year, the Alabama Legislature passed a law expanding the commission from three to seven seats and consolidating regulatory power in a newly-created secretary of energy.
Experts said the legislation stood to benefit Alabama Power, the state’s largest utility, by making the initiation of rate cases scrutinizing energy prices more difficult.
Zeigler seemed reticent to criticize the new law on Wednesday.
“The fact is it’s law,” he said. “It’s something that I’m just going to have to live with. Move on.”
This won’t be Zeigler’s first time serving on the body. A perennial candidate, he served on the Public Service Commission for a single term from 1975 to 1979. Half a century later, after running for various offices and serving as Alabama’s state auditor from 2015 to 2023, Zeigler said he recognizes that if he wins in November, he’ll be serving in a state much different than it was all that time ago. In 1979, Zeigler said, no one had heard of a data center, much less had one proposed to be built in their back yard. Times have changed. Now, Zeigler himself is figuring out how to deal with ever-evolving technology.
Zeigler said while his campaign hasn’t generated AI images for publication, it may have shared some created by supporters. Both Zeigler’s website and social media pages feature AI-generated images, one portraying Zeigler in a heroic stance, “THE WATCHMAN” emblazoned across the bottom.
In it, Zeigler holds a bottle labeled “sunlight, integrity, common sense and sweet tea.” Zeigler, in a houndstooth blazer, a cape and a “people over profits” belt buckle, appears above a monster truck painted in the University of Alabama’s crimson and white. “Zeigler,” the side of the truck says. “Watching out for Alabama!”
Ultimately, Zeigler said it doesn’t matter if his campaign or supporters use AI-generated images in his run for office.
“I guess eventually I’m going to have to learn how to use AI,” he said. “But the idea that you can’t be a watchman over data centers and try to oversee them if you use any AI yourself is a juvenile analysis.”
Zeigler will face Democrat Sheila McNeil in the November election.
About This Story
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Thank you,
Lee Hedgepeth
Reporter, Alabama
Lee Hedgepeth is Inside Climate News’ Alabama reporter. Raised in Grand Bay, Alabama, a small town on the Gulf Coast, Lee holds master’s degrees in community journalism and political development from the University of Alabama and Tulane University. Lee is the founder of Tread, a newsletter of Southern journalism, and has also worked for news outlets across Alabama, including CBS 42, Alabama Political Reporter and the Anniston Star. His reporting has focused on issues impacting members of marginalized groups, including homelessness, poverty, and the death penalty. His award-winning journalism has appeared in publications across the country and has been cited by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, among others.
ADOW Names Eddie Wiggins as Chief Inspections Officer
MONTGOMERY – Alabama Secretary of Workforce Greg J. Reed announced today that Eddie Wiggins has been appointed to the role of Chief Inspections officer. In this role, Wiggins will lead the Elevator and Boilers Division, the Mining Division, and the Child Labor Division. These divisions are responsible for regulating and ensuring safety for all Alabamians.
“I am confident Eddie will be a significant asset to our organization,” said Reed. “His years of experience, professionalism, and commitment to safety will result in a safer Alabama for all of us.”
Wiggins has been employed with the agency since 2020. Prior to his promotion, he worked as the agency’s Chief Elevator/Boiler Inspector and was responsible for overseeing the Inspections and Child Labor Department and ensuring the safe operation and compliance of elevators, boilers, and pressure vessels. Before his employment with ADOW, Wiggins worked as a Boiler/Elevator Inspector and Loss Control Engineer in the insurance industry. He has performed inspections in most of the United States. He also served on the Alabama Boiler Board and the National Board Inspection Code committees. Since his employment with the agency, Wiggins has served as a member of the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.
Wiggins has been married to his wife, Beverly, for 45 years. They have a son, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
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