Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt wasn't short on words to describe the Alabama Crimson Tide and quarterback Keelon Russell after their 33-point blowout win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville.
"Bama is excellent," Klatt said on the Monday edition of his popular video podcast and FS1 program while recapping Week 5. "I thought they would be a defensive-led team because I didn't know how quickly this young quarterback was going to come in and be able to really operate. And guess what? He is operating."
Klatt described Russell as "outstanding" and said that he was already sold on the first-year starting quarterback's talents. The former five-star recruit from the 2025 class has thrown for 1,414 yards and 11 touchdowns to two
interceptions. He's ran for another 184 yards and four touchdowns.
In the Tide's 56-23 romp over Mississippi State, Russell completed 16 of 22 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. He accounted for four scores by racing 17 yards into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter as the Crimson Tide led 14-0 and 21-7 early.
"This guy is one of the better quarterbacks in the country," Klatt said of Russell. "He throws with leverage. He throws with touch. He can layer the ball. He can drive the ball. He throws into tight windows, he's fearless. He's explosive. He can run, manipulates the pocket. And guess what? They give him a lot of time."
Joel Klatt says Alabama's offense, Keelon Russell remind him of this team
Klatt believes Alabama's offense with Russell operating at an elite level looks like the Washington Huskies' offense under Kalen DeBoer. Alabama's coach led his former team to an unbeaten regular season and a berth in the national championship game with Michael Penix at quarterback.
"(Alabama) has got all these deep routes going, and it looks so much like that Washington team with Michael Penix and Rome Odunze out there, and they could throw the ball against anybody," Klatt explained. "That's exactly what Alabama looks like."
"You've got Russell and he's making people miss and still throwing the ball down the field. They've got speed on the outside. That is dynamic, man, I'm telling you."
Where Keelon Russell sits in Heisman odds after Mississippi State win
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 5, 2026
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Fox Sports analyst praises Alabama football's offensive line
Klatt continued his praise for the Crimson Tide and turned to the offensive line.
"The offensive line, which was a worry for me, is OK in the run game and great in protection. Russell has all day to throw, and if he has all day, you're dead. You are dead.
"Somebody's going to have to put Russell under duress. Is it going to be Georgia? Is it going to be Texas if they match up at some point with Colin Simmons? Who is that team? Is it Miami, Ohio State? What team is going to be able to put Russell under duress? Because right now, if you don't do that, you will lose."
Klatt noted that Alabama was the first team since the 2019 Oklahoma Sooners to begin a season with 45 points in each of its first five games. Russell, Klatt added, is the first starting quarterback to help put up those point totals since Tua Tagovailoa in 2018.
"I'm all in on Bama," Klatt said "I kind of love it, guys. I really do. Bama's excellent."
Kalen DeBoer's Alabama is here, Klatt says
Klatt, who said in August that he did not like the direction of the Alabama program heading into Year 3 under DeBoer, has changed his tune following the Tide's 5-0 start and the manner with which they have dispatched opponents.
Alabama's average margin of victory entering its Week 6 showdown with No. 2 Georgia is almost 29 points. The Crimson Tide rank 25th nationally in total offense, or 20th among Power Four teams.
"When Kalen DeBoer went to Alabama, you had this inkling in your head... what could DeBoer do with Bama athletes down there?" Klatt recalled thinking when the Tide made the hire in 2024. "Because we saw what he did at Fresno and really his whole career, but specifically at Washington, and this is it."
Alabama moves into top-5 college football rankings after Mississippi State game
As a sign of how much the analyst and color commentator on Fox's weekly "Big Noon Saturday" games is impressed by the Crimson Tide, Klatt moved Alabama up one spot to No. 5 in his weekly top-10 rankings. Alabama is one spot below the Miami Hurricanes and one ahead of the Indiana Hoosiers.
Joel Klatt reveals latest top-10 rankings entering Week 6
Here's a look at the Klatt's full top-10 rankings after Week 5.
- 10. BYU Cougars
- 9. Utah Utes
- 8. Oregon Ducks
- 7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- 6. Indiana Hoosiers
- 5. Alabama Crimson Tide
- 4. Miami Hurricanes
- 3. Ohio State Buckeyes
- 2. Texas Longhorns
- 1. Georgia Bulldogs
Alabama football schedule 2026
TV channel, announcers for Alabama football vs. Georgia
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 6, 2026
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Alabama (5-0 overall, 3-0 SEC), which is No. 6 in this week's AP Top 25 and No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, will face the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 6 of the 2026 college football season.
Kickoff for Alabama-Georgia is 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs, 6:30 p.m., ABC
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers, 2:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN or SEC Network
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, TBA
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 5-0, 3-0 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Joel Klatt names QB comparison for Alabama football's Keelon Russell
