BATON ROUGE, La. - Austin Mack didn’t linger in the middle of Alabama’s postgame celebration after the Crimson Tide beat LSU 31-13. He had somebody else to find.
“Keelon! Keelon!” Mack shouted into the cluster of Alabama players.
He was looking for Keelon Russell, the quarterback who beat him out in the summer competition and is the reason Mack is spending his fourth year of college football on the sideline. Mack tracked Russell down first, then turned to find another teammate.
Third-string freshman quarterback Jett Thomalla came over right away, and the group grew again when John Gazzaniga joined them. Gazzaniga, a 6-foot-7 former walk-on, had appeared in only one game before, last November against Eastern Illinois.
The four posed for a photo that captured more than just a top-15 win. It was another example of the way Mack has carried himself all season as the veteran voice in Alabama’s quarterback room.
Russell said Mack’s influence shows up in the details.
“He gives me so many key points,” Russell said. “In today’s game, when they were bringing pressure, like, he told me, hey, just look out for this, look out for that.
You know, even on the set, he was like, ‘Hey, this is the point of this,’ and just understand this... Austin is a big help.”
Russell had the sharpest outing of his Alabama career in Death Valley. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and he never turned it over.
The Tigers brought heat, Alabama’s run game stalled, penalties piled up before the snap, and Russell even dealt with a third-quarter ankle injury. None of it knocked him off course.
Mack has been part of that development from the start. He and Russell were both backups under Ty Simpson last season, and they spent the offseason pushing each other in the race for the starting job. That relationship has carried into the fall, where Mack has remained one of Russell’s closest confidants and a steady presence in a tight Alabama quarterback room.
In three months, Mack is expected to be somewhere new, likely at a Power Four school that will pay him well to be its starting quarterback. For now, though, he is still right there with Russell, helping him work through the game and helping hold the room together.
“I feel like we have the best brotherhood there is all over the country,” Russell said. “We spend time with each other, we love each other. It’s just these guys pour in so pour into me so much, so I just love those guys.”
In Other News...
Greg McElroy Just Gave Alabama Fans Fresh Playoff Ammo
Greg McElroy has given Alabama fans another talking point to carry into the College Football Playoff conversation, saying the Crimson Tide should land at No. 3 in the next rankings. The former Alabama quarterback pointed to the strength of Alabamas wins and the injury issues the team has had to navigate, a combination that gives supporters plenty of ammunition as the playoff debate starts to sharpen.
His take also puts Tennessee in the spotlight, with McElroy placing the Volunteers at No. 8 and leaving their path to the postseason tied closely to what happens in the games ahead. The reaction to his comments has already been lively, and for Alabama fans, it is the kind of outside validation that can fuel the argument even before the rankings are officially released. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces New QB Concern Heading Into Vanderbilt
Keelon Russells ankle injury is the latest thing Alabama has to monitor as it turns the page from the LSU win and starts preparing for Vanderbilt. Kalen DeBoer said the quarterback is day-to-day after getting hurt in the LSU game, but Russell still came back and finished with 206 passing yards and three touchdowns, a reminder of how important he has become to the offense.
For Alabama, the timing matters because there is little room for a lingering issue at quarterback with another SEC test coming up next. The update leaves the Crimson Tide with some reassurance after Russells strong finish against LSU, but it also adds a layer of uncertainty to a position group that can change the feel of the week in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Still Waiting On Two Young Backs At Crucial Time
With the stretch run arriving, Alabama is still waiting on two young backs who could matter down the line. AK Dear and EJ Crowell remain limited because of health issues, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said both are working their way back while stressing that neither is facing a season-ending injury. Neither player was available for the recent game against LSU, leaving the Tide to keep piecing together the backfield as the calendar tightens.
For a program that likes to have depth ready when the games get bigger, the timing is less than ideal. Alabama does not have to write either player off for the year, but it also cannot count on them yet, which makes every update worth watching. The next question is whether either back can get healthy enough to rejoin the mix before the season reaches its most demanding stage. [Read more 🡒]