College football is back, and Week 1 already has a few names crashing the party in a big way.
At Alabama, the buzz starts with Keelon Russell. Kalen DeBoer gave the redshirt freshman the nod over Austin Mack for the East Carolina opener, and Russell looked like the right call almost immediately.
In just one half, he went 11-for-17 for 182 yards through the air and added 54 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries as Alabama sprinted to a 38-7 halftime lead. East Carolina’s defense may not be last year’s Indiana, but after Alabama managed only three points in its bowl game last season, this was the kind of smooth, easy offense Tide fans have been waiting to see.
Russell finished with 335 total yards, the second-most by an Alabama quarterback in a debut since 1998, behind only Bryce Young. DeBoer has already shown he can make a pocket passer hum, as he did with Michael Penix at Washington, but Russell brings another layer with his legs. That combination is going to be a problem for SEC defenses.
The quarterback spotlight isn’t the only Heisman conversation getting loud. The receiver race might be the real show this season.
On Friday night, Miami’s Malachi Toney put on a clinic against Stanford, setting the school record for receiving yards in a game and scoring three touchdowns. He even struck the Heisman pose three times during the win.
Then Saturday brought Jeremiah Smith’s turn.
Smith, who can’t go pro until next April’s draft, only played the first half against Ball State with Texas coming up next, but he still ripped off 151 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. After his second score, he hit a Heisman pose of his own. If this keeps up, the race between these two is going to be must-watch all season.
Indiana also got a huge day from a new quarterback, but there were some defensive cracks under the surface. TCU transfer Josh Hoover made a sharp debut in the Hoosiers’ 52-16 win over North Texas, finishing 13-for-16 for 231 yards and four touchdowns.
Curt Cignetti said after the game, "I didn't think we played real well on defense," and the numbers back that up. Indiana gave up 5.5 yards per play and had just one sack, a drop-off from last season when the Hoosiers finished 19th nationally in sacks.
The good news is the schedule gives them plenty of time to clean it up, with no ranked opponent until Oct. 17, when Ohio State comes to Bloomington.
Friday’s action also gave Miami a new look under center. Darian Mensah made his Hurricanes debut and looked every bit like a major upgrade, completing 27 of 30 passes for 401 yards and five touchdowns against Stanford.
Miami had gone nearly all the way last year with Carson Beck at quarterback, but Mensah brought a different kind of juice. Cooper Barkate followed him from Duke, but it was Toney who became his favorite target, torching Stanford for a Miami-record 234 yards on 12 catches and three touchdowns.
Toney is 18, and the production already looks absurd. One game in, Mensah’s addition looks like one of the biggest moves in the sport for 2026.
USC may have found something just as important on the other side of the ball. Lincoln Riley’s teams have long been defined by explosive offense and shaky defense, and that’s been the same story at both Oklahoma and USC.
This time, though, the Trojans brought in 66-year-old Gary Patters, who is five years removed from his 21-year run as TCU’s head coach, to run the defense. It looked like a smart swing on Friday night.
USC shut out Fresno State in a 39-0 win, holding the Bulldogs to nine first downs and just 54 total yards through three quarters. The Trojans piled up five sacks, seven tackles-for-loss and even scored two safeties.
The offense under Riley is going to score. That much is never in doubt. But if the defense really can play like this, USC goes from being a Big Ten team to watch to a legitimate playoff threat.
In Other News...
Alabama's Opener Exposed Two Concerns Fans Can't Ignore
Alabama opened the 2026 season with a win over East Carolina, giving Kalen DeBoer a clean start to his third year on the sideline, but the game still offered an early read on where this team stands. Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell made his first career start and looked composed enough to settle things down, using his athleticism to help keep the offense moving, while Ryan Coleman-Williams provided a real vertical threat with more than 100 receiving yards.
Even so, the Tide left with a few reminders that September can be revealing in ways a final score does not fully show. The defense looked more ready for SEC-level football than the offense did, and the issues up front on the offensive line were hard to miss as Alabama tried to sort out protection and consistency. Coleman-Williams big day also came with some costly drops, leaving the passing game with both promise and proof that there is still cleanup work to do before the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's Young Offense Has One More Thing To Prove In Second Half
At halftime, Alabama has more than enough cushion against East Carolina, but the game has still offered a useful snapshot of where this young offense is growing and where it still needs work. The ground game has carried the day, the offensive line has given freshman quarterback Keelon Russell a clean pocket, and the defense has mostly done its job against the run while helping the Tide build a 38-7 lead.
The next step is a familiar one for Alabamas offense: making life easier on Russell by creating more separation on the outside and turning good protection into cleaner, quicker answers downfield. The defense has been sturdy in the trenches, but it has also shown a willingness to give up explosive plays when communication slips, which is the sort of detail that can matter more against better competition than it has in a lopsided first half here. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Familiar Worry With Its Most Explosive Receiver
The opening game of the season brought an old concern back into view for Alabama, as Ryan Coleman-Williams had another rough day at the catch point. The explosive receiver has been central to what the Crimson Tide want to do offensively, and his ability to turn chances into chunk plays remains a key part of Alabamas hopes heading into the rest of the year.
Coleman-Williams did spend the offseason trying to clean up the issue, making changes aimed at improving his hands and sharpening his reliability. Even so, the early signs were a reminder that Alabamas passing attack may have to keep living with a little volatility from one of its most dangerous weapons, which is not exactly the kind of tradeoff a contender wants to carry for long. [Read more 🡒]