Alabama offers rising SMU 4-star QB commit Keelon Russell
Rhett Lashlee and SMU landed a standout commitment last September in the form of Duncanville (Texas) four-star quarterback Keelon Russell.
The 6-foot-2.5, 185-pounder opted to stay home and pledged to the local Mustangs. That was just the beginning of what has become a high-profile recruitment for one of the top signal-callers in the 2025 cycle.
Since coming off the board, Russell has peaked the interest of many top programs. Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M and Florida are among the schools pushing hard to flip the back-to-back state champion and Elite 11 Finalist. Alabama could be the next team to add to that list.
After an in-person meeting from new Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, Russell announced an official offer from the SEC powerhouse on Wednesday.
For more on Russell’s visit with Sheridan, check out BamaOnLine.
Bama is currently without a QB commitment in the 2025 cycle and lost 2024 Five-Star Plus+ QB signee Julian Sayin to Ohio State earlier this year following the retirement of longtime head coach Nick Saban. The Tide have their eyes on multiple gunslingers — Russell included.
“SMU stands very high for me right now,” Russell told On3 last month. “But as of right now, I am very much still open. I am still taking college visits and still talking to other coaches.”
Up next for Russell is an official visit to Ole Miss this weekend, his first of three OVs currently scheduled. He’s also locked in officials with SMU (May 17-19) and Florida (June 7-9) and has also recently logged spring visits to Texas and Texas A&M. The SEC is after the Lone Star State product and Alabama will hope to join the slew of programs by getting him down to Tuscaloosa for a visit.
“It’s about development, for sure,” Russell said. “I tell every coach that I talk to that, ‘It will be crazy if you get me to win the Heisman Trophy and be the leading passer and rusher in college football.’ But for me, being developed into an NFL quarterback is what matters most because that’s the next step in my journey. I want to be developed well so I won’t have any mistakes or issues when I get to the NFL. I want to completely understand how the game is run and how things look in the league.”
Russell a big riser in the latest 2025 On300 update
Following On3’s latest rankings update, Russell now checks in as the No. 81 overall recruit and No. 8 QB in the 2025 On300. He’s also now the No. 78 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Russell earned impressive remarks from On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power as he continues to emerge as one of the top quarterbacks in the cycle:
“SMU commit Keelon Russell (No. 81) has backed up another state title run with a strong offseason. He was highly efficient while leading powerhouse Duncanville (Texas) High to a second-straight championship in Texas’ highest classification. Russell has shown steady growth and progression over the course of the past year. Adding size and arm strength. He made a number of translatable throws last fall and looks to get better and better each time we see him, which isn’t a big surprise, given he’s one of the younger top quarterbacks in the cycle.”
Last season, Russell threw for 3,267 yards, 35 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He logged a .741 completion percentage and hurled for over 217 yards per game. He also ran for four scores.