Alabama’s opening win over East Carolina gave Keelon Russell a little bit of everything: a touchdown run, a team-high 86 rushing yards on 13 carries, and a reminder that his legs can be both an asset and a problem.
That last part is what Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb zeroed in on Monday, Sept. 7, when he was asked about Russell’s ability to protect himself while still using his athleticism to extend plays. Grubb didn’t spend much time dancing around it.
"Oh my God, this guy," Grubb began. "Yeah, we're working on sliding."
Russell took his share of punishment in the season opener, choosing to absorb hits instead of getting down. Grubb made it clear the staff wants more of a quarterback mindset from him in those moments, not a highlight-chasing approach.
To Grubb, Russell is a quarterback first, and that means "continue developing as a quarterback, not (as) a run-around guy."
Grubb said the improvisation is valuable, calling it "an absolute blessing," but only if it doesn’t become a habit in the wrong situations. The concern, as he framed it, is what happens when Russell is late on a decision and keeps putting himself in harm’s way.
"The off-platform stuff is an absolute blessing, you know, that he's able to do it," Grubb said. "We just don't want it to have to keep happening at the wrong time when he's late on a decision and things like that."
Still, Grubb said Russell has already had enough moments from that game to stick with him. In his view, those were the kind of "inspirational plays for him that he's going to remember" even without the benefit of sliding.
And the warning was straightforward: this isn’t a one-game issue. It’s a season-long survival issue.
"It's a long season," Grubb said. "It's a competitive league, and f he runs around like that every week, it's going to be an even longer year for him."
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The assignment comes with an immediate test, too. The Falcons are set to begin the season on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so Tagovailoa will get his first chance to settle into the job under pressure and in front of a national audience. For Alabama backers, it is the kind of early-season storyline that ties their former star to a new opportunity and a new set of expectations right away. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russells Debut Left Alabama With One Clear Concern
Keelon Russells first Alabama appearance offered enough to see why the staff is so intrigued, but it also showed why the postgame film will matter. Against East Carolina, the freshman quarterback had stretches where he tried to make plays down the line instead of taking what was available underneath, and the overall snapshot was of a debut with some promise mixed with some decisions Alabama will want cleaned up quickly.
The same game also gave the Tide a useful look at other parts of the offense, from the tight ends working as both receivers and run blockers to concerns around Coleman-Williams mechanics. On the other side of the ball, freshman defensive back Jireh Edwards was around the action on the sideline even though he did not play after an August injury, leaving one more item for Alabama to monitor as the opener is absorbed and the depth chart keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Cubelic Saw One Encouraging Sign In Keelon Russells Debut
Week 1 of the 2026 college football season gave the SEC a clean opening weekend, and ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic spent much of it picking apart what he saw from each league team on social media. For Alabama, his attention naturally landed on Keelon Russells debut, which came in a conference that looked sharp overall and left plenty of room for early readjustments around the league.
Cubelic liked the way Russell handled the offense, noting the timing on his throws and the way he used his legs when it mattered. Even with that encouraging first impression, Alabama still has a bigger-picture checklist to work through, and Cubelic pointed to the need to do a better job managing the edges as the Tide move deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]