The Connor O'Gara Show EP. 9 | Is Keelon Russell About to Take Alabama BACK to the Top?

Jim Dunaway joins Connor O’Gara for Episode 9 of The Connor O’Gara Show for a wide-ranging college football conversation covering the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback battle, SEC coaching hot seats, Kalen DeBoer, Keelon Russell, Austin Mack, Steve Sarkisian, Arch Manning and much more. Connor and Jim break down the fascinating QB competition at Alabama and why Austin Mack’s relationship with Kalen DeBoer shouldn’t be overlooked. But Connor is buying the upside of Keelon Russell, predicting the talented young quarterback could become the SEC Freshman of the Year. If Russell reaches his ceiling, could Alabama go from an overlooked preseason team to a legitimate College Football Playoff and national championship contender? They also set the over/under at 1.5 SEC head coaches fired in 2026. Jim takes the under, but could Shane Beamer find himself under pressure? And what happens at Texas if Steve Sarkisian, Arch Manning and the Longhorns stumble against a brutal schedule? Connor and Jim discuss how NIL and revenue sharing have changed the economics of firing coaches, with programs increasingly forced to decide whether their money is better spent on a massive buyout or building a better roster. Plus, the guys get into: • Jim’s upcoming ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and why the cause has become personal for Connor • Memories from SEC Media Days and the early days of Saturday Down South and The Next Round • Why Jim has so much respect for Austin Mack • Whether grown men should still wear sports jerseys • Connor’s hilariously random Honey Baked Ham football helmet • Why displaying SEC memorabilia immediately leads to accusations of media bias • The Next Round’s upcoming Alabama coverage • The SEC’s rules surrounding late-calendar transfers • And plenty of college football stories, laughs and behind-the-scenes conversation If you love SEC football, Alabama football, college football analysis and candid conversations about the sport, make sure to like the video, subscribe and turn on notifications for more episodes of The Connor O’Gara Show. #AlabamaFootball #RollTide #KeelonRussell #AustinMack #KalenDeBoer #SECfootball #CollegeFootball #CrimsonTide #JimDunaway #ConnorOGara #TheConnorOGaraShow #CFP #ArchManning #TexasFootball #TheNextRound SUBSCRIBE: @NextRoundLive - youtube.com/@NextRoundLive @TNRClips - youtube.com/@TNRClips FOLLOW TNR ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7zlofzLZht7dYxjNcBNpWN FOLLOW TNR ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-round/id1797862560 WEBSITE: https://nextroundlive.com/ MOBILE APP: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-next-round/id1580807480 SHOP THE NEXT ROUND STORE: https://nextround.store/ Like TNR on Facebook: / nextroundlive Follow TNR on Twitter: / nextroundlive Follow TNR on Instagram: / nextroundlive Follow everyone from the show on Twitter: Jim Dunaway: / jimdunaway Ryan Brown: / ryanbrownlive Lance Taylor: / thelancetaylor Scott Forester: / scottforestertv Tyler Johns: /TylerJohnsTNR Brooks Carter: /BrooksACarter Sponsor the show: [email protected] 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5990300882567168 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices