How Alabama football’s Keelon Russell already reached Jalen Milroe status in 1st career start

With the Alabama football team clashing with East Carolina on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season opener, there’s no denying that the Crimson Tide has dominated, led by quarterback Keelon Russell. As the Alabama football program will leave Week 1 with a commanding win, Russell’s performance will be a standout, even achieving the same status already in the first game as former signal-caller for the team, Jalen Milroe.

Milroe spent four seasons with the Crimson Tide from 2021 to 2024 until he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. If there’s one aspect of Milroe’s game that helped Alabama during his tenure, it was his dual-threat ability, as Russell has joined him after a great first half on Saturday.

Russell having at least 175 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in the first half against East Carolina is the first time a Crimson Tide quarterback has done that since Milroe did it in Week 5 of 2024 against the Georgia Bulldogs, via ESPN Insights.

“Keelon Russell is getting it done with his arm and legs! 11-17 for 182 yards…5-9 for 132 yards on throws downfield for 10+ air yards…9 carries for 54 yards and 1 TD,” the ESPN Insights account wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “He is the first Alabama QB to have at least 175 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in a half since Jalen Milroe against Georgia in Week 5 of 2024.”

Keelon Russell showing Alabama football why he should be the starter 

There was a quarterback competition with the Alabama football team this offseason, with fans wondering who would start under center in Week 1 between Russell and Austin Mack. Russell would eventually win the job and has shown out in his first start of the season, leading the Crimson Tide to eight scoring drives, six of them ending in touchdowns, and there are still over five minutes left in the game by the time this is posted.

Russell has recorded 249 passing yards and 86 yards on the ground, with the one touchdown attached to him being a rushing one. He looks to keep the momentum going into Week 2 against the University of Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 12.

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