Alabama’s coaching staff announced in January 2025 that redshirt freshman Keelon Russell will take the reins as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback, edging out senior backup Austin Mack in a competition that began early in the year.
Russell's Rise at Alabama
Russell’s trajectory has been striking. After a breakout 2024 campaign at SMU in which he threw for 4,177 yards and 55 touchdowns — up from 3,483 yards and 38 scores the previous year — he was labeled a five‑star prospect and the nation’s second‑best quarterback recruit.
The quarterback’s journey to Tuscaloosa began when he committed to SMU in 2023 before transferring to Alabama on June 4, 2024, and signing with the program on December 4, 2024.
Georgia's Quarterback Landscape
Georgia, meanwhile, will field Gunner Stockton as its starter after Carson Beck’s offseason move to Miami. Stockton’s first start came in the 2025 Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame after Beck suffered a torn UCL in the SEC Championship against Texas.
The two programs are scheduled to meet on October 10, 2026, marking Alabama’s first matchup with an underclassman quarterback from Georgia since the 2022 national championship game that featured Bryce Young. The clash promises a fresh narrative pitting Russell’s rapid ascent against Stockton’s emerging leadership.