Greg McElroy saw a familiar kind of quarterback debut from Keelon Russell - and not just because Russell put on an Alabama uniform.
McElroy, now an SEC Network analyst, said his own background in Texas may have given him a useful lens for understanding Russell’s first career start last week against East Carolina. Russell, who is from Duncanville, Texas, stepped into the spotlight without the weight of growing up around Crimson Tide football, and McElroy thinks that can matter.
“It’s a little helpful not growing up in it,” McElroy said during an appearance Saturday on SEC Nation. “Being from Texas, you’re a little naive.
You know what I mean? Like, he’s from Duncanville, Texas.
I’m like, ‘oh, yeah, Texas. High school football is a big deal.
This college thing. We’ll see how it goes.”
Russell handled the moment well in Alabama’s 48-10 win over the Pirates, finishing 17 of 29 for 256 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 89 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.
McElroy, who quarterbacked Alabama to the 2009 national championship, came away impressed by the tools Russell flashed. The former Tide QB called it an “unbelievable skill set,” and said the freshman showed plenty in his first outing.
“we know he can play physically. He’s there.
And just the legs, the accuracy down the field, he is an effortless thrower. This guy, ball just jumps out of his hand.
He makes it look easy when he’s dropping back and throwing the football. So he showcased that he’s a tremendous football player in his first start, which is exactly what you want to see.
“Now, I want to see the growth, and I think the staff wants to see the growth into going from being a tremendous football player to being a tremendous quarterback, a distributor. Get the ball out on time.
Don’t (think) ‘oh this guy’s unblocked off the right side, I’ll just make him miss and go turn it into an explosive play.’ Fix the protection, get the ball out.
Don’t take the unnecessary hit.
“So that’s the next step of his evolution. But as far as first starts are concerned, it’s about exactly what you’d expect from a young, talented kid.”
Alabama, ranked No. 12, is 1-0 and heads into its SEC opener against Kentucky, also 1-0, on Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Central, and the game will air live on ABC.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Is Caught In The SEC's Early Power Surge
The SECs early-season grip on the sport tightened again in the latest Super 16 poll, and it is hard to miss the leagues footprint at the top. Texas and Georgia sit first and second for the first time in nearly two years, while the conference placed seven teams in the rankings overall, all of them coming off Week 2 victories. For Alabama, the climb back from an uneven start has already begun to look more convincing after its comeback win over Kentucky.
Texas rally against Ohio State got the headlines, but the broader picture is what matters in Tuscaloosa and across the league. The SEC is already setting the pace nationally, and with so many of its teams winning early, the margin for error figures to shrink fast once conference play begins to sort out the contenders from the rest. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Had An Unexpected Game Problem While Trying To Settle Keelon Russell
A third-quarter helmet communication outage briefly turned Alabamas matchup with Kentucky into a test of poise rather than play design, cutting off the usual link between quarterback Keelon Russell and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. For a young quarterback still settling into the rhythm of the offense, it was the kind of in-game hiccup that can expose timing issues fast, but Alabama had the advantage of being prepared for exactly that sort of problem.
Russell said the team practices for those situations, and the Crimson Tide handled it by shifting to sideline commands and keeping the offense moving. Alabama still pulled away for a 45-17 win, but the sequence offered a small reminder that even in a comfortable result, the details around communication can matter just as much as the snaps themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas New Top 10 Ranking Just Raised The Stakes Dramatically
Alabamas move up to No. 10 in the AP Poll comes with the kind of attention that matters in late September, because it reflects both a win over Kentucky and a little help from the teams sitting ahead of the Tide. The ranking puts Alabama back in the top 10 conversation, but it also sharpens the view of what comes next, since the margin for error changes quickly once the schedule turns from manageable to punishing.
The Tide are about to face a run of top-15 opponents that will tell the real story of this season, and it begins right after the calendar flips into October. Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU all wait in a stretch that could define whether Alabama stays in the College Football Playoff race or slips into damage-control mode, and the early ranking only makes those games feel bigger. [Read more 🡒]