Alabama Working to Make Keelon Russell's Job 'Friction-Free'

A look at how Ryan Grubb and Alabama's staff are working to eliminate the small mistakes still holding back Keelon Russell and the offense.

Alabama Quarterback Keelon Russell throws the ball in the first half of the game against FSU on Sept 19, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama's offense has made plenty of mistakes over its first three games.

From Keelon Russell's three first-half turnovers in Lexington, to pre-snap penalties, to free rushers blowing up plays, there's no shortage of things for Ryan Grubb's unit to clean up. Despite the 50-point outburst last Saturday against Florida State, the offense's operation left a lot to be desired.

"There's identification, communication, and then you've got to execute," head coach Kalen DeBoer said. "There were times where we fell short, and it kept us from really finding our way into the end zone quicker, if at all."

While Russell is the most prominent new piece on the offense, it's worth remembering that every position group is going through the same process, with new pieces across the unit trying to settle in. Young quarterbacks can easily get overwhelmed when they try to control every aspect of the field.

"As a young quarterback, you can worry about all the other personnel and people," Grubb said. "So as a coaching staff, we've really worked hard to try to keep Keelon friction-free."

For now, "friction" certainly still exists. Pre-snap penalties are still occurring too often, and there have been a number of miscommunications that have allowed free rushers to wreak havoc. One such instance occurred on Saturday on a would-be explosive completion to tight end Marshall Pritchett, where the tackle missed the call on a rusher and allowed a sack.

"It's a play that we've made a million times. The guys knew the call, and he didn't get the call back down, so that was a bummer to see, and, obviously, we were really frustrated by that. We knew the warts in the play. There's a backside edge we've got to look to for edge pressure, and we didn't get it," Grubb said. "But we talked about it on the sideline, let's make sure this isn't happening anymore. They got better. They figured it out. And we didn't let it happen again."

Despite the missed opportunities, Alabama's offense looked the cleanest it has all season. This week's home game against South Carolina offers a chance for the offense to build some real momentum entering what could be a streak of five straight top-25 games starting with Mississippi State on Oct. 3. For now, the next three days of practice will prove crucial for Russell and the offense as a whole as it tries to establish the habits that will lead to continued success against the Gamecocks.

"It normally starts with tonight and tomorrow, where I'm yelling at him," Grubb said. "We literally have a clock in walkthroughs. So it's just repetition and time for him, and really being self-aware that these little pauses in between getting the call and getting started into his mechanics in the huddle are just habits. And continuing to work that, he's gotten better at it, and, quite frankly, the guys have gotten better at helping him."

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