Keelon Russell won the starting quarterback job last week, and Alabama offensive guard Michael Carroll provided some insight on the connection the sophomore quarterback has with the offensive line already.
Carroll shared that the offensive line was excited when they learned that Russell was being named the starter.
“They were all extremely excited just as I was,” Carroll said. “We’ve been waiting for a long time to figure out who it was, so I’m happy to know who I’m going to be blocking for.”
Carroll said the communication is “extremely great” and even highlighted what Russell is doing for the offensive line on Friday.
“It’s awesome,” Carroll said. “We have extremely great communication. He’s building a great bond with us, and even tomorrow, he’s taking us out to an O-Line dinner.”
It is no secret that Russell is building relationships with his teammates. One video at Alabama’s media day showed how a handful of Crimson Tide players approached Russell during a fan photoshoot and got a team picture with Russell.
Keelon Russell’s teammates crash his autograph session at @AlabamaFTBL Media Day.
Image | Source: Touchdown Alabama @garyharris_wvua @AlexBootheTV @WVUA23Sports pic.twitter.com/yhJovw3Dpx— Caleb Hickman (@its_chickman) August 8, 2026
Russell will make his first start on Sept. 5 when Alabama hosts East Carolina.
