A pair of former Alabama quarterbacks recently gave their thoughts on the Crimson Tide naming Keelon Russell its starting quarterback.
Greg McElroy, who started at quarterback for the Tide on Nick Saban’s first National Championship team, said he feels Russell took control of the job.
“Keelon Russell has won the job,” McElroy said on “Always College Football.” “And in the first scrimmage, Keelon Russell made some real wow plays. His mobility was obvious. We know he’s athletic. We know he can extend plays and make plays off schedule. It’s not like he’s gonna be perfect. He’s still a young player, and there’s gonna be things he tries in scrimmages that he might not try in the game. But people in the building will tell you that he makes plays. Keilan Russell wouldn’t be denied. He just went out there and he took it, and that he just continued to make big play after big play after big play. Yeah, there’d be a mistake maybe sprinkled in there, but that’s to be expected. You have a redshirt freshman, but the reason why he won the job is ’cause he scares you to death on every single snap. The team’s been reacting differently to him. There’s always this hope, there’s this glow about how Keilan Russell impacts his team, and how when he extends plays, you might not have to cover just one route, you might have to cover two, maybe even three all in one play sequence. And Austin Mack’s a guy they have a ton of faith in. I was told that he could be an All SEC type of player, but Keelon Russell will be an All SEC type of player. So they have two good quarterbacks there in Tuscaloosa, but the guy with the highest ceiling ended up winning it because of the wow plays that he made throughout the entire fall camp. And especially since that first scrimmage, he’s been on a moonshot over the last five or six practices, which resulted in him being named the starting quarterback”
AJ McCarron, who won multiple National Championships at Alabama, feels Russell has a lot of potential, but he wonders about his ability to protect the football.
“This kid has a ton of potential,” McCarron said on “The Dynasty” Podcast. “I mean, he’s got a ton of play-making ability. He’s got a strong arm. The most interesting thing for me in this is with him being younger, not having a ton of playing experience at this level, like, can he take care of the football? Because as a young quarterback, especially when you have a defense that’s supposed to be this good and has this many returning starters, taking care of the football is key. And if he can take care of the football and end every possession with a kick, even if it’s a punt or a field goal, um, or an extra point, that you’re doing your job right now. As the season goes on, are you going to have to put more on your shoulders and the team’s gonna have to say, “Rely on you more”? Yes. but if he can take care of the football, I think they’re gonna be in a good spot to win games.”
Russell is set to start against East Carolina on Sept. 5.
