With the Alabama football program taking on the Georgia Bulldogs in an SEC showdown on Saturday, it is another game for quarterback Keelon Russell to show he's the real deal. As the Bulldogs look to shut down the Alabama football quarterback in Russell, former head coach Nick Saban would give insight into what makes the sophomore so impressive.

Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Saban would talk about Russell, who has thrown for 1,414 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions, plus rushed for 184 yards and four scores through five games. He compared him to former Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young, now with the Carolina Panthers and a 2023 No. 1 overall pick, saying Russell is a “playmaker” and a “point guard playing quarterback.”

“Well, first of all, Keelon Russell is…the maturity that he plays with, and he shows for a guy that's a young player who's only started in what? Four or five games now, is pretty phenomenal to me, and his instincts as a player and his ability to make plays – he is a playmaker. I always taught Bryce Young, a point guard playing quarterback; this guy's very similar. Knows when to scramble, keeps his eyes downfield, makes plays, running it, throwing it, extending plays,” Saban said.

"The maturity that Keelon Russell plays with is phenomenal to me..

He's a play-maker and he knows when to scramble..

He has special instincts and this Alabama team has really come together" ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zYYEawljtt

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 9, 2026

What's most impressive about Alabama football's Keelon Russell

Article Continues Below

Russell is coming off another impressive outing in the Alabama football team's win over No. 16 Mississippi State, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns, plus 16 rushing yards and a score. What has Saban impressed the most is Russell's “processing.”

“So this is a guy that has special instincts, and really, I always say processing is the most important thing for the quarterback,” Saban said. “This guy can do that very well, and he can extend plays. And I think that has helped create a dynamic on this team that is probably Kalen DeBoer's best team that he's had in the three years that he's been here, because this team has really come together, I think, in a positive way.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen if Russell can keep it up against Georgia on Saturday.