It's going to take time, maybe even a couple years, to know if all the fanfare and buildup about Keelon Russell was merited. But it only took one throw to see a reason for it.
The 5-star quarterback recruit from Duncanville, Texas, flashed a lightning-quick release in his Alabama football debut Saturday, Sept. 6, in a 73-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe . I mean Tua-quick, which is to say I haven't seen a Crimson Tide quarterback any quicker. You want a takeaway from Alabama 's blowout of the Warhawks that doesn't come with that "it was just ULM" caveat? Start there, because it'll be the same blur of a release in an Iron Bowl one day.
It's just one element of quarterback play, of course, but it's not a small one. Decision-making will ultimately be far more determinant in how successful he is, but a release like Russell's can be the difference between sacks and touchdown passes.
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Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer made Russell, who was ranked the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the nation out of Duncanville, his first quarterback signee at Alabama. And to the extent that any coach and his first-chosen QB are inseparably tied together, anticipation is high for results from both. He is ostensibly third on the depth chart, behind Ty Simpson and Austin Mack , based on how playing time for the three was sequenced against ULM. And it could be awhile before he takes the field again, as UA doesn't have another non-conference paycheck game until Eastern Illinois visits Tuscaloosa on Nov. 22.
It could be 2026 before Alabama fans get a more extended look at Russell.
But when it comes to his release, they don't need one.
Alabama WR Germie Bernard vs. Wisconsin CB Ricardo Hallman .Bernard is off to a blistering start to the season with 213 receiving yards in two games, although as little as he played in a 73-0 rout of Louisiana-Monroe, it'd be more accurate to call in 213 yards in about six quarters. Hallman is an exceptional cover man who came up with seven interceptions for the Badgers in 2023. He made none last year, largely because quarterbacks avoided throwing his way.
"Well, it is a hard look to simulate. Let's just start there, you know, because it's not like you got a bunch of those guys we can put in there to say, hey, that's going to simulate the speed. But you know, his versatility. I think the way they move him around is where, even seeing the growth from last year to game one, you know, again, we got to prepare like he's going to be there. I would assume that he's going to be there." - Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell on Alabama WR Ryan Williams .
Wisconsin added two transfer quarterbacks from opposite coasts in the offseason, but it's unclear which of them Alabama will face. Billy Edwards Jr. , started at Maryland last season and won the starting nod at UW, but was injured in the season opener. His backup, Danny O'Neil, started at San Diego State in 2024, and has played well in Edwards' absence. ... In wins thus far over Miami of Ohio and Middle Tennessee State, Wisconsin's defense has some sterling averages: 5.0 points allowed per game, 33.5 rushing yards allowed per game, and 179 total yards per game.
A classic SEC rivalry renews with Georgia's visit to Tennessee, with both ranked in the nation's Top 15 . Unfortunately for the Vols, it's classic only in the sense of what used to be. The Bulldogs have won eight in a row in the series, and this year are favored by a touchdown on the road. ... Mississippi State (2-0), with likely wins over Alcorn State and Northern Illinois over the next two weeks, is primed for its first 4-0 start to a season since Dak Prescott quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 9-0 start in 2014. Their 10th game that year was a 25-20 loss to Alabama.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football QB Keelon Russell has already flashed one elite trait
