Two Texas A&M Opponents Announce Starting Quarterbacks; What Should Aggies Expect?

The Texas A&M Aggies tentatively know every quarterback they will face in SEC play this coming season as both Alabama and Tennessee announced their starters.

Yet, what do these respective quarterback decisions mean for the Aggies and their matchups with Alabama and Tennessee?

@ Alabama, October 24th: Keelon Russell

One of the more intriguing quarterback battles of the offseason finally came to an end on Saturday when the Crimson Tide named the former five-star from Duncanville its new starter. Russell, a true sophomore, will inherit the reins to an Alabama offense that only returns three starters from a season ago.

And he does so after entering a situation where he sat behind Ty Simpson, a now first-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams, for a year before having to beat out Austin Mack this offseason.

For all the star power that Russell possesses from his days of lighting up scoreboards and winning state championships at Duncanville, it was not a cut-and-dried competition. Russell was competing with an older quarterback who followed head coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington and waited behind Jalen Milroe for a year before Russell even stepped foot on campus.

Mack had the head start in terms of age and knowledge of the offense. Yet, despite having those advantages, it appears Russell won out on talent.

At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Russell brings a big arm and athleticism to the Alabama offense, something that is a contrast to what Simpson provided last season. Sure, Simpson proved lethal as a pocket passer, completing 64.5 percent of his passes while throwing for over 3,500 yards.

Yet, he didn’t have the mobility that Russell will give the Crimson Tide. As he showed in high school, Russell prefers to be a distributor, but when asked, he is a more-than-capable runner, something that could prove troublesome for opposing defenses.

Vs. Tennessee, November 15th: Faizon Brandon

Another former five-star prospect at the quarterback position coming out of high school, known for his big arm. Yet, unlike Russell, Brandon doesn’t have a year of learning at the college level under his belt.

Barring injury or benching, Brandon will lead the Volunteers into Kyle Field as a true freshman, a feat that is already difficult for quarterbacks, but potentially even more so for first-year starters.

Brandon won’t have the advantage of being at home like Russell will versus the Aggies, but with the matchup coming so late in the season, he will already have experience on the road.

As head coach Josh Heupel has shown over the years, no matter the quarterback, the offense remains the same. You can expect the veer-and-shoot offense, with its spread-out formations, with receivers lining up nearly to the sideline.

It forces defenses to get comfortable playing in disadvantage box counts and into a run-pass conflict.

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