By Mark Pszonak
Alabama true freshman quarterback Keelon Russell arrived during the winter with high expectations engulfing him. While he has only been on campus for a couple of months, to this point he has not disappointed. Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb threw more gas into the expectations fire recently by comparing Russell’s game to a quarterback that he recently coached.
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Comparing a true freshman quarterback to Michael Penix Jr., a player Grubb coached at Washington and was the 8th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is an interesting choice. It is a huge compliment to compare Russell’s field vision to a quarterback who passed for 13,741 yards and 96 touchdowns during his collegiate career.
With the quarterback situation unsettled in Tuscaloosa, plenty of eyes are on Russell to see how he performs this spring. Ty Simpson remains the likely starter in 2025, but an impressive off-season has the potential to speed up Russell’s playing timeline. Often, a quarterback’s vision is an aspect of the game that takes time to adjust to the speed of FBS football, especially in the SEC, but with Russell seemingly ahead of the game, it bodes well for the Tide.
While chances are that Russell won’t be the starter for the season opener, which is at Florida State, it isn’t unreasonable to think that the Tide will find ways to get him on the field early on. Comments like Coach Grubb’s will only push this initiative in the coming months.
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