Gene Chizik explains why Keelon Russell can be ‘very special’ for Alabama
By Sydney Hunte
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Gene Chizik was impressed with Keelon Russell’s performance against East Carolina in Week 1. The Alabama quarterback was 18-of-30 for 256 yards and threw zero interceptions. Despite not recording a touchdown through the air, he ran for a score, one of his 13 carries for 86 yards.
Before the season began, Kalen DeBoer gave the redshirt freshman the nod over veteran Austin Mack. While one week is not enough to paint a picture of what Russell will do, it looks like a good decision early on.
“Keelon Russell has a chance to be very special, and I want to make this very clear. They picked the right starter,” Chizik said on Tuesday’s “SEC Now.” “It’s never been more important to have a mobile quarterback than it is nowadays in college football, and why is that? Because there’s no continuity in offensive lines from year to year, right? So you’ve got to have a guy that can move.”
While Chizik admitted that Russell still has some work to do, he remained poised throughout the game, particularly when under pressure.
“I always look … at when quarterbacks get pressure, do they look rattled? Do they look jittery? He was never that. When there was pressure, he would escape the pocket. His eyes always stayed down the field to find the open receiver. And I love that about him,” Chizik said.
With the Crimson Tide 1-0, they turn their attention to their SEC opener at Kentucky in Week 2, a great opportunity for Russell to build on what he did in the opener. Chizik is looking forward to seeing more.
“(He’s) a guy that I think will get more accurate as time goes, but he ain’t scared. He’s not jittery. He’s athletic and he can make you miss. You can bring two and three guys and they can be unblocked, and that’s not a guarantee that they tackle the guy,” Chizik said.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
