Kalen DeBoer’s first class of recruits includes the University of Alabama’s quarterback of the future.
Keelon Russell, a five-star from Duncanville (Texas) High School, never wavered on his commitment to the Crimson Tide.
On Wednesday, he officially committed to Alabama football by signing a contract with the Tide. One of the more remarkable quarterback prospects to emerge from the recruitment season is the 6-foot-3, 175-pound player. He is aiming for a three-peat, having won the 6A Division I UIL state championship at Duncanville twice in 2022 and 2023.
ussell has thrown for 3,000-plus yards and nearly 50 touchdowns as a senior. He can make every throw on a football from a variety of angles, while having the athleticism to escape pressure, extend plays, and keep his eyes downfield as a passer.
He wants to win a College Football Playoff National Championship and be a Heisman Memorial Trophy winner. Russell shared with Alabama freshman wide receiver, Ryan Williams that he wants to come in and win.
He captured the Most Valuable Player honor at the Elite 11, but Coach DeBoer is more impressed with his leadership skills.
In the news conference on Wednesday, DeBoer emphasized why Russell was the most important addition.
DeBoer remarked of Russell, “There is a swagger about him, there is a confidence about him.”
“He has played a significant role in uniting and sustaining this class, which is what any leader—but particularly your quarterback—should strive for.”
DeBoer said everything he and his coaching staff saw on tape about Russell lined up with what they saw in person.
“It is really cool when you think about the recruiting process with him,” DeBoer said. “I continue to think of it as there are eyes that we have, feelings that we have when we watched the film that are one thing when it jumps out at you, but I think there are other details we saw from the film that we saw in person that were verified when the coaching staff went out in the spring to see him.
It was like ‘wow, this guy is what we think and these little nuances that we think are special are definitely special.’ You can see as the summer went along that everyone else started to see it as well. Now, you see the production this fall is on another level.”
Russell brought this class with him because great players want to play with other great players.
It will be fascinating to see how hard he pushes himself in the quarterback’s room this spring.
Julio Jones was the first high-profile addition to Nick Saban’s 2008 class. By his third season as head coach of the Tide in 2009, Jones had assisted Saban in winning a BCS National Championship.
DeBoer’s first significant hire from his first class is Russell.
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