Alabama faces plenty of questions amid the team’s losing streak, but among these issues is the play of quarterback Keelon Russell. After a hot start to the college football season, Russell has come back down to earth.
One of the biggest threats to Alabama stopping their recent losing skid is Russell’s turnovers. Heading into Week 8, Russell’s eight turnovers is the second most among SEC quarterbacks, per AlabamaFootball.org’s Clint Lamb.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt is the only signal-caller who has had more turnovers than Russell to start the season. The Alabama quarterback has four interceptions and four fumbles so far this season.
Let’s explore the latest Alabama football news as Russell looks to bounce back.
Alabama QB Keelon Russell on Loss vs. Tennessee: ‘I Just Put It All on Myself’
Russell threw two costly interceptions during Bama’s loss to Tennessee. After the Crimson Tide’s second straight loss, Russell took the blame for his “horible” play against the Vols.
“I mean, we just, we put it on ourselves,” Russell told reporters on October 17, following Alabama’s loss to Tennessee. “We can’t do what we did today. We turned the ball over three, four times. And me, I had a horrible game.
“I just put it all on myself. Couldn’t even get my guy down the field (past the 50 yard line). And I had careless turnovers.”
Alabama QB Keelon Russell Has $2 Million NIL Deal
Alabama is paying a premium for Russell with a confirmed $2 million NIL deal, per On3. Despite the recent struggles, Russell already has the respect of top coaches around the SEC like Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
The Dawgs coach gushed over Russell following Georgia’s narrow win over Alabama.
“There’s no such thing as containing Russell,” Smart noted on October 10, per Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken.
“That kid is an elite athlete, an elite player, hopefully we affected him some tonight and he didn’t have some of the numbers he had but he’s going to be hell in this league for two years.”
Alabama Kalen DeBoer Sends Strong Message on Bama Offense Before Texas A&M Game
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer wants to see the offense lean on the team’s rushing attack to create more opportunities for Russell. The Crimson Tide posted just 54 rushing yards against the Vols.
“There’s got to be some continuity in a run game that is going to set up some opportunities for us to be able to have our whole offense available,” DeBoer explained after the team’s second consecutive loss, per Touchdown Alabama Magazine’s Justin Smith.
“And in the end, it’s hard to drive the ball play after play for three or four yards to play down the drive, especially if you have some penalties on top of it, and so we got to make sure we continue to hone in on some of the things we are really good at.”
Alabama is a sizable 14.5-point favorite against Texas A&M in the latest college football odds, per FanDuel. The Aggies are 4-3 this season but just 1-3 in the SEC standings.
Concerning Keelon Russell News Emerges Days Before Alabama’s SEC Showdown vs. Texas A&M