TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Keelon Russell completed 17-of-29 passes for 249 yards and ran 13 times for 86 yards and 1 touchdown in his first career start Saturday, and No. 13 Alabama beat East Carolina 48-10 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Russell won two Texas 6A Division I state championships at Duncanville High School before signing with Alabama. He had been committed to SMU from Sept. 21, 2023, until June 4, 2024, when he flipped to the Crimson Tide after an official visit to Tuscaloosa.
On Alabama’s first drive, Russell escaped pressure for a 23-yard run. He directed scoring drives on each of Alabama’s first five possessions. He also hit Ryan Coleman-Williams for a 58-yard gain, and 130 of Russell’s 249 passing yards went to Coleman-Williams, a newly named team captain who dropped two passes in the second quarter…