What Keelon Russell needs to do to win Alabama’s quarterback battle

Photo via Alabama Athletics

With the 2026 college football season approximately three months away, the one thing weighing heaviest on the minds of most Alabama fans is the quarterback battle between junior Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell.

Fans got to see their first true glimpse of the competition as the two coincided against one another in Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Tide’s annual A-Day scrimmage. If one thing became clear, it was that Russell took the first major step ahead.

Post-game, head coach Kalen DeBoer spoke to the media, saying that Mack had been dealing with some unspecified issues, but that he’d bounce back. But as the season gets closer, his and Russell’s imperfections will be magnified.

Although the question of what Russell needs to do to win the battle seems like it may have shifted slightly to what he needs to do to maintain any current lead, the answer remains the same: he needs to be himself, a playmaker.

Since Russell was a rising star at Duncanville High School in Texas, he’s always shown an ability to evade pressure and make something out of nothing, whether that means using his speed on the ground or his impressive accuracy.

While the question of whether his abilities would translate to college was more of a when, not if, it still came as a bit of a surprise when he stepped onto Saban Field in April and did some of the same things he did in high school.

He lit the field up, finding fellow freshmen, new transfers and veterans of the Tide to assist him in his 240-yard, four-touchdown passing performance. For Russell, his ability to improvise is what sets him apart from Mack the most.

While Russell’s constant evasion of the pocket could be viewed as a negative mechanic, it never seemed to have that effect on him. One of two things would happen: his seemingly instantaneous acceleration shocked viewers every time, while he managed to turn a play into positive yards, or somehow, he’d find a receiver downfield and hit him with precision while throwing on the run.

His abilities stretch far deeper than that, though. While he could understandably be viewed as a signal-caller with a tendency to scramble, his patience in the pocket and downfield vision also highlight an already impressive skillset.

The one advantage that Mack certainly has over Russell is experience; there’s no changing that. And it’s also been previously stated by DeBoer that Russell needs to work on his presence and play-calling in the huddle.

Improving upon this would certainly help Russell, but growing into and knowing the system comes over time. That time is something Russell can earn very quickly if he just stays true to himself and continues to prove his capabilities.