Keelon Russell keeps turning big Saturdays into his own personal showcase, and the latest one in Starkville pushed him to the front of the Heisman race.
Alabama rolled past Mississippi State by 33 points, and the head-to-head matchup everyone had circled between Russell and Kamario Taylor never really turned into a contest. Taylor is still a very good quarterback, maybe even great. Russell, though, looked like something more: already great, still climbing, and now the guy sitting atop the Heisman conversation.
For the moment, Russell has moved ahead of Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith in FanDuel odds.
The difference in this game came down to control. Russell protected the ball.
Taylor didn’t. Mississippi State started the night in trouble when Taylor put it on the ground on the opening possession, and Alabama cashed in quickly with Russell finding Ryan Coleman-Williams for a 15-yard touchdown.
Then came the kind of swing that can bury a home team early. On the next possession, Dijon Lee jumped Taylor’s throw, intercepted it, and took it back for a touchdown. It was Alabama’s fourth pick-six of the season.
Russell kept rolling after that. He was far sharper than he was in his early road struggle against Kentucky, and he’s now put together three straight excellent weeks. Against Mississippi State, he went 16-of-22 for 285 yards and three passing touchdowns, then added a rushing score to make it a third consecutive game with at least four total touchdowns.
He also keeps sprinkling in the kind of throws that make people stop and replay the clip.
This throw by Alabama QB Keelon Russell😮💨
(Via: ABC) pic.twitter.com/TNetVaU9rD
- PFF College (@PFF_College) October 3, 2026
The hype around Russell was always there. The question was when it would all click.
The answer, at least right now, is that it’s happening fast. He’s playing like the best quarterback in the country, and he’s doing it while looking nowhere near finished.
That’s a big reason Alabama looks like a real national championship threat. The Tide are deep, talented and balanced, and the run game is doing its part too. Alabama rushed for 181 yards against Mississippi State, giving Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb the kind of balance that opens up the whole offense.
It also means Russell doesn’t have to carry everything by himself. Though lately, that’s exactly what he’s been doing anyway.
Next up is Georgia at home, and that’s the biggest test waiting on the schedule. Kirby Smart’s defense will be the toughest Russell has seen, and Alabama’s offense will have to answer a different kind of challenge.
Still, based on what Russell has shown over the last three weeks, there’s every reason to think he’ll be ready for it.
In Other News...
Alabama Found Two Reasons To Feel Better Before Georgia
Before Alabama turns its attention to Georgia, there were a couple of encouraging signs worth noting from the latest game. Keelon Russell gave the offense a lift by throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground, and the run game got meaningful help from a deeper group of backs, including Traeshawn Brown and EJ Crowell.
Xavier Griffin also stood out on the other side of the ball, leading the team in tackles and helping make several key defensive plays. Just as important for a defense looking to steady itself, Alabamas run front was much firmer against Mississippi State, holding the Bulldogs to 18 rushing yards and giving the Tide something concrete to carry into a bigger test. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Underwoods Struggles Leave Michigan With An Uncomfortable Week 5 Reality
Keelon Russells rise has become one of the more notable developments around Alabamas early-season start, and the quarterbacks recent stretch has only sharpened the attention. After throwing four touchdowns in the spring game and then piling up 10 passing touchdowns and 970 yards over three games, he has helped steady a team that rolled to a 56-23 win and moved to 5-0.
For Alabama, that kind of production matters not just in the standings but in the broader SEC picture, where quarterback play can change the feel of a season quickly. Around the country, other programs were dealing with their own storylines in Week 5, but Russells emergence has given Alabama a promising answer at the position and left the rest of the league watching what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A Real Shot To Climb After Saturdays Top 25 Chaos
Saturdays college football slate did Alabama a favor, even before the next AP Top 25 poll gets posted. USC barely survived an upset scare, Ohio State and Missouri both had results worth watching, and a few teams around the country did enough to create the kind of weekend that tends to shake up the middle and upper tiers of the rankings.
For Alabama, the bigger point is simple: the Crimson Tide have a real path to move up if the voters decide the chaos mattered as much as the resumes. The poll will be refreshed soon, and with conference play still unfolding, there is a decent chance the order gets jumbled in a way that opens the door for Alabama to climb if enough teams ahead of it wobble. [Read more 🡒]