TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Not even Qua Russaw fully could explain what he did. Toward the end of the first quarter against Mercer on Saturday, Russaw initially blitzed before felling back into coverage. Teammate Deontae Lawson tipped a pass in the air, which led to Russaw making a diving, one-handed interception.
What’s most impressive is that Russaw is 6 feet 2 and 251 pounds, making it an incredibly athletic play for someone of that profile. But that’s what has set Russaw apart this season.
“I dropped back and knew the pass would be somewhere in that area,” Russaw said. “(Lawson) tipped it up, and I just said, ‘I got to make that play.’ I had to fall back and get it. I mean, I just did it.”
Plays like this are why Russaw was highly touted coming out of his school and has carved out a significant role as a redshirt freshman this season. But Russaw’s role has changed already in the first 10 games of his career. He has elevated from rotational piece to a starter at wolf (or outside linebacker). The circumstances were unforeseen, but Russaw’s development and ceiling have made him an X-factor candidate for the remainder of the season.
“Qua Russaw’s doing a really good job, starting to get a little bit more out of him,” defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. “Excited for the challenge, next man up mentality. As the season goes on, these are the defining moments: Do players step up in the moment when they’re needed? And ultimately that will determine our success here on the back end season.”
Russaw was a consensus five-star recruit out of high school in the 2023 class. He didn’t get any game action during the 2023 season, redshirting in his first year in Tuscaloosa. He was one of three five-star linebackers who did that a year ago. In some ways, it was expected with veterans Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell and Que Robinson on the team.
But Russaw knew he wasn’t fully ready to make an immediate impact.
“I understood why I wasn’t playing because I needed to learn more,” Russaw said. “Physically, I think my body was good, but it was just learning football. When I came here, I really didn’t know anything. So just taking my football IQ to the next level is what gave me the ability to separate myself from the others.”
What Russaw took most from last year’s players was the importance of film study. He recalls never seeing Turner without his iPad watching college or NFL games. With a newfound perspective, Russaw dedicated himself to the film room during the summer, and it started to make a difference as he made a major push during preseason practice.
Now a more complete player, Russaw has played at least 20 snaps in every game this season except for the South Carolina game (19 snaps) and will be the full-time starter moving forward.
“Qua is strong at the point of attack,” Wommack said. “He’s got enough athleticism to be able to make space tackles; he has all the physical traits for a good wolf. But more so, the guy has really taken ownership in terms of what to do schematically and how he fits within the framework of the defense.”
Russaw’s increased workload coincides with attrition at wolf. Two weeks ago, senior Que Robinson was ruled out for the season with an arm injury. In addition, junior Keanu Koht has been serving a suspension and filed his paperwork to enter the transfer portal on Wednesday, according to A&P Sports Agency.
Losing Robinson was difficult because he’s a vocal leader on the defense. Without him and Koht on the field, Russaw is more than just a player in a larger role; he has to fill a leadership role as well. He and fellow redshirt freshman Yhonzae Pierre are the oldest active players, followed by true freshmen Noah Carter and Jayshawn Ross.
“(Robinson) was basically our voice in our room,” Russaw said. “An older guy that we could look to. So for me and (Pierre), we’re just gonna have to step up and kind of be that voice for the younger guys and lead from now on.”
It’s a big shift for Russaw, who has been surrounded by older players to this point. He has embraced the new role, and how he continues to grow has become an intriguing storyline during the closing regular-season stretch.
“He’s a quieter guy, a guy that’s more thoughtful,” position coach Christian Robinson said. “So guys know, if he’s gonna speak up and say something, he means it. So I see him being thankful and trying to push guys, and he’s coaching them. I’ve seen him talk to (Carter and Ross) more.
“Sometimes when there’s a void, that’s when those guys step. If you look around the room, who’s gonna lead it?”
With more snaps, Russaw’s consistency needs to improve. One area he has pinpointed is in the pass rush because has only one sack. Robinson was Alabama’s sack leader at the time of his injury. Jihaad Campbell has helped fill that void, but Russaw will need to contribute there too as the primary outside backer.
“I get back there, but I’m just not finishing,” Russaw said. “I see little stuff like I could’ve gotten around the tackle easily, but I chose to chop my feet or something like that. So just critiquing my technique and watching more film.”
But his athletic gifts make him a game-changer on any given play. He plays the run well, but he has shown up as a pleasant surprise in pass coverage with two interceptions: tied for the team lead.
His interception against Missouri was an example of him putting all of the pieces together: He read the quarterback’s eyes all the way and made a diving catch.
“The dude’s made two great interceptions so far this year,” Wommack said. “Part of what makes you a great defender, especially at that wolf position, is that you’re creating production for the defense, and I think we’re seeing him do more and more of that. Certainly when you think about some of the things that have happened in that room, he’s stepping up at the right time.”
Russaw’s continued production will be an important piece to an Alabama defense that has been elite during the past month. The unit is No. 3 nationally in forcing turnovers and has elevated to 10th in points allowed (16.9), a significant improvement from 41st in mid-October. The remainder of the season is an opportunity for Russaw to showcase himself as he’ll be a core piece of next year’s unit.
What’s clear is he’s plenty motivated to maintain the standard of this year’s defense.
“We want to dominate,” Russaw said. “We want to look like old Bama. We want to be like that. We want to be the best we can be. We feel like we are the best defense.”
(Photo: Jeff Hanisch / Imagn Images)
