Jett Thomalla knows exactly who he is as a quarterback, even before catching Alabama football's eye.
The 2026 Omaha, Nebraska, four-star signal caller calls himself "very accurate," one who specializes in the deep ball, one who has good pocket presence, who can move around and be mobile if necessary. But Thomalla also knows what separates himself from others.
"Tight window throws, they are kind of my thing," Thomalla told the Tuscaloosa News.
Iowa State was already sold on Thomalla, extending an offer in late January, an offer that turned into a commitment in mid-April. But even as a Cyclones commit, an opportunity came that Thomalla couldn't pass up, catching the attention of the Crimson Tide , which continues its search for a 2026 quarterback.
Thomalla is one of two 2026 quarterbacks to get recent offers from Alabama along with Cincinnati four-star Matt Ponatoski, each coming after in-person throwing sessions in front of Alabama quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan .
Thomalla has confidence. Throughout his recruitment, he said he always knew offers would come. Attention that came after a junior season at Millard South High School where he completed 69.6% of his 359 pass attempts for 3,664 yards, 47 passing touchdowns and 3 interceptions, per MaxPreps.
But Thomalla said attention from a school like Alabama was "crazy," something he never would have expected, calling the Crimson Tide "one of the top programs for years now," and a team that consistently provided a path for quarterbacks to the NFL.
"It's something to look at because I know they'd help me get me there," Thomalla said. "So would Iowa State."
Thomalla is sold on what Iowa State has to offer, picking the Cyclones over Missouri because of the program's coaching, how much he felt Iowa State wanted him — not offering another 2026 quarterback after him — and "how much it felt like home there."
But with an Alabama offer, Thomalla said it's something he has to consider, planning on a visit to Tuscaloosa later this month to see what the Crimson Tide is like, saying he's not considering any other program outside of Iowa State or Alabama even as other schools reach out.
And while Alabama has a quarterback room seemingly set for the near future — with Ty Simpson holding two seasons of eligibility, Austin Mack holding three and Keelon Russell entering his first season with the Crimson Tide — Thomalla knows what his mindset would be if he joins the Crimson Tide room.
"(Sheridan) sees potential in me, and you never want to have doubt in yourself," Thomalla said. "You want to go in there thinking you're the guy and you're going to be the starter. That might not even be true, but that needs to be your mentality going to a school like Alabama, if I were to go there. I would just have a chance to compete with the skills you have and I can keep up with the skills. He kind of said, you never know when something will change."
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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: 2026 Iowa State QB commit considers Alabama football offer
