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Alabama launched its Early Signing Period with a huge boost to its quarterback situation for 2025, signing 5-star Keelon Russell out of Duncanville, Texas.
Russell had initially been committed to SMU and looked like he was going to stay in the state of Texas. But he eventually flipped to the Crimson Tide, whose quarterback situation could be unsettled next year with Jalen Milroe possibly heading to the NFL and skipping his senior season.
https://twitter.com/AlabamaFTBL/status/1864327763408146844
Kalen DeBoer’s first recruiting class after a full season as Alabama’s head coach has a big-time quarterback prospect who could possibly replace Milroe.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Russell is the 2nd-ranked quarterback nationally and the No. 2 player in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s also the top-ranked player in Texas.
Russell was named MVP of the Elite 11 for 2024. He became the first Alabama commit to win that award since Tua Tagovailoa did it in 2016, so he was already in great company when it comes to Crimson Tide quarterbacks even before he signed with Alabama.
The quarterback was 1 of 4 5-star recruits who were committed to the Crimson Tide entering the start of the Early Signing Period, which began Wednesday and will continue through Friday.
“Can attack all three levels of the field with precision and get the ball out fast as he alters his release point and is quick to improvise,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote in his scouting report of Russell.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
