Alabama Chooses Redshirt Freshman Keelon Russell Over Austin Mack

The college football regular season is rushing toward us, and many position battles are finally reaching their logical conclusions. A specific battle has drawn significant attention: the quarterback competition between Alabama Crimson Tide signal callers Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Last month I wrote an article about this fight where I stated I would not be shocked if talented but inexperienced Russell seized the job from veteran Mack, and that is precisely what happened now. This year stands as a pivotal moment for head coach Kalen DeBoer because he needs to prove Bama fans and boosters he can return the program to the heights achieved under great Nick Saban, yet it remains interesting he chose the younger quarterback anyway. I love the concept of selecting the signal caller with higher upside and more long-term potential for the program, while no quarterback across the country boasts greater upside than Russell.

The redshirt-freshman hails from the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he played for high school powerhouse Duncanville. The Panthers have produced an insane amount of Power 4 talent over the past several years, and I expect Russell to continue that trend forward. A former five-star recruit, Russell was the number one player coming out of the state of Texas, which counts as a major accomplishment if you know anything about high school ball. He displayed an uncanny mix of arm talent and accuracy, punctuated by his 67% completion percentage with only four interceptions his senior year, alongside elite athleticism that head coaches drool over. Duncanville even captured a 6A state title with Russell at the helm, proving he is a winner even in a stacked league such as the highest classification of high school football in the Lone Star State.

Russell will get plenty of runway too, and I believe this represents the hidden genius behind DeBoer's decision to ride with the youngster. The Crimson Tide opens against East Carolina before traveling to Kentucky, and while you never want a redshirt freshman making his first SEC start on the road, facing a first-year head coach trying to rebuild a stagnant Kentucky program is about as good as it gets. By the time Alabama welcomes Florida State to Bryant Denny Stadium, Russell will have an SEC road start under his belt, allowing him to help the Tide get revenge for last season's debacle in Tallahassee. Bama does not play a Playoff-caliber opponent until October 10 against Georgia, and by then Russell will possess half a season of experience to draw from.

I believe Russell has the talent and pedigree to have the Crimson Tide firing on all cylinders by the end of the season, which is exactly when you want a championship contender to peak for maximum impact. And if he elevates the Tide to the promised land, he remains young enough to stick around for a few more seasons trying to repeat his success. This means DeBoer will not have to spend another offseason breaking in a new quarterback as he has done the previous three years in Tuscaloosa. This move might serve as the spark DeBoer needs to reach heights everyone thought he would achieve when accepting the Alabama job nearly three years ago.