Keelon Russell has officially blasted past his Week 2 dud and is now playing like a genuine Heisman contender. The freshman gunslinger absolutely torched South Carolina, going 21-for-27 for 365 passing yards and a mind-blowing four touchdowns, racking up 40.1 points. This isn’t a fluke either, he dropped 36.4 points against Kentucky just a week before! This kid is for real.
From Promising to ‘Elite’ in a Flash
Seriously, what a turnaround. Russell, who was already touted as an Elite 11 winner coming in, has transformed from “promising” to “upper echelon” in what feels like moments. He was basically perfect before halftime against South Carolina, throwing for 234 yards and four scores on just 13-of-15 attempts. His coach, Kalen DeBoer, is even hyping up how comfortable Russell looks operating out of the pocket. You love to see it. He’s the perfect leader for Alabama’s crazy talented skill players, with the Tide averaging 9.5 yards per dropback, which is ninth in FBS, and a massive 24% of their completions going for 20+ yards. That Week 2 stumble? A distant memory, for sure. Russell is primed for another massive stat sheet explosion this weekend against Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State, in what should be an absolute quarterback showcase.
Meanwhile, over at the Cardinals, Lincoln Kienholz is doing his own thing. Reports from “spring” hinted at connection issues with his new receiving corps and a more run-heavy offense. But last weekend’s upset loss to Wake Forest saw his main runners, Isaac and Keyjuan Brown, combine for a mere 81 yards on 21 carries. Instead, Kienholz has stepped up big time, even outperforming previous starter Miller Moss. He let loose 36 passes and averaged 8.1 yards per dropback, hitting his fourth straight game with at least 25+ fantasy points. He’s thrown for over 300 yards twice already, but his ground game is what’s really popping off, with a whopping six rushing touchdowns. That’s a vital part of his early-season breakout. The bad news? Kienholz got banged up last weekend and is a game-time decision at NC State. If he’s out, that’s a huge depth blow for Week 5, especially with so many prominent signal callers on bye.
And don’t sleep on Fluff Bothwell. Yes, Fluff. The Mississippi State offense is cooking under Kamario Taylor, and Bothwell’s fantasy relevance is soaring. He’s stacked three straight 100-yard games and just became the sixth NSU running back ever to hit 120+ rushing yards and 50+ receiving yards in the same game. Averaging a solid 3.9 YAC with a 54% success rate and 18% of his rushes gaining 10+ yards, he’s currently the fantasy RB12. If he keeps that 100-yard streak alive against Alabama this weekend, his stock could easily go even higher.
Bishop’s Injury Takes a Toll
On the flip side, things aren’t looking as bright for Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop. He was on fire in Week 2, racking up 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a 45-24 dismantling of Georgia Tech. Everything was according to plan. But then he sustained an injury against Kennesaw State in Week 3. That clearly hampered him in their tight 20-17 loss to Texas last week, where Bishop managed just 34 yards on 11 carries. It’s too early to completely bail on him, he’s still the guy who scored 16 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 PPG last year. But he was clearly struggling against Texas. If he’s gutting it out hurt and only getting a dozen carries a game, he’s a questionable fantasy option moving forward. You gotta wonder how long he can keep that up.
This weekend is going to be wild. Keelon Russell versus Kamario Taylor is must-watch TV. Can Fluff Bothwell keep his streak alive against Alabama? And will Lincoln Kienholz even hit the field? So much on the line as we dive into Week 5!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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