Alabama QB Keelon Russell Lands Strong Words from Former Coach
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When the Alabama Crimson Tide decided to name Keelon Russell their starting quarterback to kick off the 2026 college football season, there was a lot of excitement in Tuscaloosa. Following a competition with Austin Mack, Russell clearly deserved the job.
In the season opener against the East Carolina Pirates, Russell did not disappoint.
Russell completed 18 of his 30 pass attempts for 256 yards. He also ran 13 times for 86 yards and a touchdown.
He may not have thrown a touchdown pass, but he also didn't throw an interception. There are plenty of ways for the sophomore quarterback to improve, but the early signs have been positive.
With that being said, a former college football coach has spoken out with strong words about the Crimson Tide quarterback. Gene Chizik, the former defensive coordinator at North Carolina, spoke out with his thoughts on Russell during an appearance on SEC Network.
“Keelon Russell has a chance to be very special, and I want to make this very clear. They picked the right starter,” Chizik said on Tuesday.
"It’s never been more important to have a mobile quarterback than it is nowadays in college football, and why is that? Because there’s no continuity in offensive lines from year to year, right? So you’ve got to have a guy that can move.”
Chizik did not stop there. He showered more praise on the young quarterback.
“I always look … at when quarterbacks get pressure, do they look rattled? Do they look jittery? He was never that. When there was pressure, he would escape the pocket. His eyes always stayed down the field to find the open receiver. And I love that about him,” Chizik said.
Finally, Chizik wrapped up his discussion about Russell with another strong statement.
“(He’s) a guy that I think will get more accurate as time goes, but he ain’t scared. He’s not jittery. He’s athletic and he can make you miss. You can bring two and three guys and they can be unblocked, and that’s not a guarantee that they tackle the guy,” Chizik said.
Next up for Alabama will be a Week 2 matchup on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats. It will be the Crimson Tide's first SEC matchup of the season.
Hopefully, Russell is ready to show out once again. Beating Kentucky will be much more difficult than the test Alabama faced last week against East Carolina.
Only time will tell what the future has in store for Russell and the Crimson Tide. But, it looks bright with the young signal caller leading the way.
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