Nobody knows yet whether Alabama quarterbacks Austin Mack or Keelon Russell will turn into stars, or end up in the transfer portal by December.
What is already clear, though, is that neither one is going to get to own a jersey number.
That lesson landed hard Thursday, Aug. 13, when former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels made news for being furious that LSU let another player wear his old No. 5. Daniels, through his attorney, sent a letter demanding the school stop using his name, image or likeness, and he reportedly wants LSU to send him the Heisman Trophy he won in 2023.
Get Daniels a pacifier, stat.
The whole episode is a reminder of how far some players think their claim extends after the college days are over. Apparently, winning a Heisman Trophy that leads a team all the way to the ReliaQuest Bowl gives a player the right to tell a school to retire his jersey.
At Alabama, that kind of thing is a nonstarter. Russell can be every bit the five-star quarterback he was billed to be, but No. 12 belongs to Alabama history, not to him.
Joe Namath wore it. Ken "Snake" Stabler wore it.
Paul W. "Bear" Bryant himself wore it in the 1930s.
Those are the names that made that number matter, and they never needed lawyers to complain when it was handed down to Brodie Croyle or Greg McElroy. Russell may be capable of lighting it up this fall - if he gets solid protection up front and enough help from the run game - but No. 12 at Alabama carries more weight than any one player can create.
Mack’s No. 10 has a different kind of legacy, but it’s a real one. Bart Starr wore it.
So did at least three national championship quarterbacks: Steadman Shealy, AJ McCarron and Mac Jones. Mack could win the job, play well and even help bring home a championship without changing what that number already means.
LSU defensive back DJ Pickett is refusing to give up No. 5, and he shouldn’t.
The larger point is simple: Mack and Russell are still fighting for a starting job that comes with plenty of perks, from campus attention to huge leverage in their next NIL deal, plus TV exposure, NFL draft buzz and maybe even a Heisman Trophy someday. If they stay long enough, they can have all of it, diploma included.
But when they leave, the jersey-number rights won’t go with them.
In Other News...
Alabamas First Scrimmage Could Reshape The Offense In A Hurry
Alabama is nearing its first fall camp scrimmage with a string of offensive decisions still very much in play, and the timing matters because so much of the unit is tied together. The quarterback competition is still the headline, but the bigger picture includes a running game that needs to keep taking shape, a wide receiver group still searching for a dependable third option, and an offensive line that is working toward the kind of cohesion that usually only shows up once the competition starts heating up in earnest.
Ryan Grubb has sounded encouraged about the backs and the internal competition in that room, which gives the Tide a starting point as camp gets more detailed. Wide receiver depth is still being sorted out, and the line is not fully settled either, with several players fighting to lock down the final jobs before the season gets too close for comfort. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Run Game Fix May Depend On One New Tackle
Alabamas push to get the ground game moving better this fall has started up front, where Kalen DeBoer is trying to reshape the offensive line and give the run game a sturdier foundation. A big part of that effort has been the addition of Mississippi State transfer Jayvin James, a right tackle whose arrival has added another layer of competition to a group the staff wants to see take real steps forward.
James has drawn steady praise during camp as he works through the transition, and the staff has liked the way he and Texas transfer Nic Brooks have both handled the challenge. The two are tied into a battle at right tackle, and the way that job settles could say plenty about how quickly Alabamas revamped line can help change the look of the rushing offense. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Rebuilt O-Line Faces Its Toughest Camp Reality Yet
Alabamas offensive line has been one of the more closely watched projects of fall camp, and for good reason. Under Adrian Klemm, the group is in the middle of a rebuild, trying to settle in quickly enough to hold up against the kind of fronts the Crimson Tide will see once the games start counting. The internal standard is obvious: match the physicality of a defensive line that has repeatedly set the tone in practice.
Kalen DeBoer has pointed to steady progress, especially in communication, assignments, and the basics of run and pass protection, which is the sort of forward motion Alabama needs before the schedule turns serious. But camp reports only tell part of the story, and the real test will come against strong regular-season opponents, where the lines growth will have to show up under pressure rather than in drills. [Read more 🡒]