Texas A&M’s 2026 schedule looks like it’s going to be pretty loaded with tough games, especially when it comes to what A&M will have to do on the road. That road slate just got a little bit tougher, as Alabama has finally named their quarterback for the upcoming season in former five-star Keelon Russell.
Sources: Alabama has named Keelon Russell the team’s starting quarterback. He won the job on camp over Austin Mack. pic.twitter.com/ckgiQ4JEoS
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 22, 2026
Russell was a high-level quarterback recruit out of Duncanville High School in the Dallas area, eventually choosing to go with the Crimson Tide over the hometown SMU Mustangs. It always felt like Russell’s path to starting was an inevitable one, but Aggie fans were hoping that it may have taken Kalen DeBoer a little longer to get to this conclusion.
When you bring in a five-star quarterback of Russell’s talent, sometimes they start right away, and sometimes they take a little bit to get accustomed to things. That Russell and four-year member of the Crimson Tide Austin Mack had a quarterback competition that was taking so long seemed like it boded well for the Aggies— but now that DeBoer is going ahead with Russell at QB, no such luck.
Texas A&M’s Alabama matchup just got that much tougher with Keelon Russell behind center
There was a hope that Mack might shine a little bit more brightly than Russell this offseason, and the passer with a lower ceiling might end up being the starter for the Tide. That would give the Aggies a bit of a better chance in their game in Tuscaloosa, even if Russell was the starter by that point— fewer starts under his belt, you see.
But DeBoer has a strong track record with quarterbacks (the Ty Simpson stuff from last year notwithstanding), and it looks like Russell is far enough along that he will start off the year behind center. He’ll have some things to work through in his first year, but the Aggies will end up playing in Tuscaloosa in late October, meaning that they won’t have the benefit of catching him early.
Russell is a dual-threat QB through and through, so the Aggie linebackers had better come ready to play. Luckily for Texas A&M, Daymion Sanford is looking like he’s back on track to be ready for the opener against Missouri State, so barring an injury between now and then, the Aggies should be ready on that front.
The game against the Tide concludes eight straight games to start the season for the Aggies before they get a bye week on Halloween. That’s no joke— but the good news for Texas A&M is that they play at Missouri and host the Citadel the two weeks beforehand, while the Tide host Georgia and play at Tennessee.
This road game against Alabama is one of Texas A&M’s most decisive matchups this upcoming season. Texas A&M hasn’t won against the Tide in Tuscaloosa since 2012 (though they came agonizingly close in 2022, of all seasons), but this is their first time squaring off against ‘Bama in the post-Saban era. We’ll see how they fare October 24– with Russell opposite them, they’ve just lost a possible edge.
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