Throughout the 2026 recruiting cycle, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has evaluated a number of quarterback prospects. One notable target was four-star dual-sport athlete Matt Ponatoski from Cincinnati, Ohio. Ponatoski, who had previously listed Alabama among his finalists, ultimately chose to flip his commitment to Kentucky after initially committing to Iowa State. This came after Alabama successfully secured four-star QB Jett Thomalla in a late-cycle flip.
Ponatoski’s desire to play both football and baseball complicated his recruitment. However, DeBoer remained interested, and Alabama baseball coach Rob Vaughn joined the pursuit, with both programs extending offers to Ponatoski. Despite their efforts, Ponatoski announced his commitment to Kentucky on Monday.
BREAKING: Four-star quarterback Matt Ponatoski has committed to Kentucky, he told @rivals.
The 6’2”, 195-pound prospect from Cincinnati, OH chose the Wildcats over offers from Oregon, Alabama, and Arkansas.
He plans to play baseball as well.
“All Glory to God…Big Blue Nation, let’s do it.”
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3), July 6, 2025
With Ponatoski off the board, it looks like DeBoer plans to take just one quarterback in the 2026 class—four-star Jett Thomalla out of Omaha, Nebraska. Alabama started the 2026 cycle slowly, but that’s no longer the case. DeBoer now has 19 commitments and a class ranked 5th nationally, thanks in part to a strong June recruiting push that included the Thomalla flip.
Alabama also pursued four-star Tayden Kaawa in June. The Honolulu native, currently playing high school football in Utah, is now being heavily recruited by BYU. While Kaawa could remain a possibility, Alabama’s cooling interest in both him and Ponatoski prior to the latter’s Kentucky decision suggests DeBoer, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan are confident in the addition of Thomalla.
Thomalla stood out at the Elite 11 Finals, and he fits the mold of a developmental prospect—exactly what the staff wanted to back up 2025 five-star Keelon Russell. Although the transfer portal could shake things up, Alabama’s quarterback plan appears to be: Ty Simpson starts in 2025, beating out veteran Austin Mack and Russell. Russell then takes over in 2026 and leads the team for two seasons before declaring for the NFL. If that timeline holds, Simpson and Mack would likely transfer, positioning Thomalla as Russell’s backup before eventually competing for the starting role post-Russell.
Of course, that long-term plan could be disrupted. Between the volatility of the transfer portal and the pressure DeBoer faces to make the College Football Playoff this season, nothing is guaranteed. But with a quarterback like Russell in the fold, Alabama’s staff is clearly planning with a defined trajectory in mind—and right now, Thomalla is part of that vision.
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