Alabama Crimson Tide starter just proved why the Keelon Russell quarterback No.1 talk is more than just hype
One of the better Alabama Crimson Tide defenders just proved that the Keelon Russell talk is more than just hype, and he may have called his shot at quarterback No. 1.
The Alabama Crimson Tide is amid one of the biggest quarterback battles in the country. Right now, it’s quiet in Tuscaloosa, but soon, summer workouts will begin as the team prepares for fall camp ahead of the 2026 season.
Spring ball was a great appetizer, but the actual game left many believing that Keelon Russell was clearly QB No. 1. However, Austin Mack was injured, and Kalen DeBoer has made sure that people know the competition is wide open. But whether it was Ryan Williams after the game, Rueben Foster this week, or now, Bray Hubbard, it’s clear which side of the aisle many former and current Alabama players sit on.
Keelon Russell Senior Yr of HS Stats/Accolades
- 4,177 passing yards.
- 58 total touchdowns.
- 2024 National Gatorade player of the year.
Bray Hubbard says Keelon Russell wows in practice
“Keelon is a younger guy,” Hubbard told USA TODAY Sports via TD Alabama, “Austin has been in the system, but I will say, Keelon has got a cannon. He gets us all the time with some balls. I’m like, ‘Wow, that takes a really impressive arm to throw’… You can hear the ball sizzle when he throws it.”
Who really has the leg up in Alabama’s QB competition?
While no one can know what’s going on inside the head of Kalen DeBoer, I would venture to say that a person as experienced and with as much expertise at the quarterback position has a good idea of who will start come Week 1 against East Carolina.
Even if the competition was even, there is an old saying in the NFL, “you can’t make the club in the tub.” Essentially, it’s hard to make a team, or in the case of Alabama’s quarterback battle, it’s hard to win a job if you’re banged up.
Now, whatever ailment that Mack was dealing with will probably be long gone by the time camp rolls around in July, but between the tangible evidence that we have from the spring game, alongside all of the recent comments, there seems to at least be a frontrunner, and his name is Keelon Russell.