What stands out to Beamer about Alabama QB Keelon Russell?

South Carolina’s head football coach Shane Beamer feels Alabama football’s starting quarterback Keelon Russell is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback.

Russell has thrown for 764 yards and four touchdowns through three games. The sophomore has also picked up 133 rushing yards and scored two times on the ground this season. Beamer feels the quarterback’s ability to make plays in a variety of ways makes him ‘really impressive.’

The South Carolina head coach was asked how Russell compares to Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe earlier this week.

“I think you see both,” Beamer said. “I remember last year watching Ty and just being like, ‘Holy smokes, the throws this guy makes,’ talking about Ty last year when we played them, all over the field, velocity, deep balls, touch. When you see Russell, you see the same thing. He made a throw the other day against Florida State over on the Florida State sideline that was just an unbelievable throw. To be able to make that as a freshman on a rope, right down the sideline. But then his athleticism. He makes the throws that Ty can make, and then you see his athleticism and his ability to run. It reminds you of Milroe. He’s got a play where they miss a sack, and he gets out of the pocket the other day, and it turns into a long touchdown run. I see a little bit of both. He’s a heck of a player. I can see why he was so highly recruited, and to be doing that at a high level for them already is really impressive as a redshirt freshman.”

Beamer and the Gamecocks were defeated by the Crimson Tide in 2024 and 2025. Milroe started at quarterback in 2024 when teh Tide defeated the Gamecocks in Tuscaloosa, and Simpson was Alabama’s starting quarterback last season when Alabama beat South Carolina in Columbia.