Qua Russaw and James Smith were high school teammates at Carver High School in Alabama, committing to play for the Crimson Tide together in a dual ceremony at their school back in December of 2022. Fast forward nearly three years later, and both are projected starters on Alabama's defense, and both could be in line for star turns as juniors.
Russaw was a starter for the Crimson Tide last year at Wolf LB. He had a solid year overall, but didn't provide much in the way of pass-rushing ability. He finished the year with one sack and was typically just a two-down player with senior Que Robison taking over on the edge on third downs and obvious passing situations.