It took Keelon Russell a couple of games to find his footing, but once things clicked, he exploded. After a difficult first half against Kentucky, the Alabama sophomore star has been nearly perfect.
He turned the ball over three times in the first 30 minutes in Lexington, but has avoided any turnovers in the 10 quarters since. He played clean and managed the game effectively in the second half against the Wildcats as the Crimson Tide scored 32 unanswered points en route to a 28-point win.
Then, against Florida State and Kentucky, Russell was prolific.
He threw for 320 yards and ran for 56 more with four total touchdowns in Alabama's 50-36 win over the Seminoles. He threw three touchdowns in three minutes late in the second quarter to turn a 21-6 deficit into a 26-21 lead.
He had an electrifying 57-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against FSU that gave Alabama some separation in the two-touchdown win.
Saturday against South Carolina was Russell at his best. On the 4th snap of the game offensively, the wunderkind hit a bomb to Lotzeir Brooks for a 75-yard touchdown pass. It was an absolute dime. He threw three more touchdowns in the first half and added a second-half rushing touchdown as the Crimson Tide cruised to a 49-18 win.
Russell finished with 400 total yards and five total touchdowns in the 31-point win. In the aftermath, he's made a significant surge up the Heisman Trophy board.
Keelon Russell is tied for the 5th-best Heisman Trophy odds after Week 4
Russell's Heisman odds are exploding. He was pretty far down the board after the Kentucky game, but after his brilliance over the last two weeks, he's now tied for the fifth-best Heisman odds, according to FanDuel.
Russell is at +1200, which ties him with Notre Dame QB CJ Carr for the fifth-best odds. That's only slightly behind Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss at +1100. He was the favorite heading into the weekend, but the Rebels got blown out by 24 on the road at Florida.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith is the new favorite at +300, followed closely by Miami QB Darian Mensah at +350.
Alabama's next opponent, Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor, has the third-best odds at +800. That sets up a massive matchup this weekend in Starkville between Russell and Taylor, with the winner likely shooting up the board even further.
Saturday in Starkville will be the biggest game for the young QB to date. All eyes will be on that matchup with two of the best young quarterbacks in the country squaring off. If Russell can outduel Taylor and lead Alabama to a road win over the No. 16 team in the country, he's going to generate even more significant buzz than he already has.
For the season, Russell has thrown for 1129 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He's added 168 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. His 89.0 QBR is good for 7th in the country.
Again, the scary part with Russell is that he's still just scratching the surface of what he can become. The Alabama offense is littered with youth, and as they continue to grow and gel together, they're going to be increasingly more difficult to deal with.
Add us as a preferred source on Google