Kalen DeBoer, Alabama players support Keelon Russell at twin sister's funeral

Alabama freshman quarterback Keelon Russell recently lost his twin sister, Kierston, after passing away in Tuscaloosa. On Saturday, the funeral was held in Tupelo, MS, and people from inside the Crimson Tide program made sure Russell was not alone.

Kalen DeBoer was joined by multiple players and even quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan to support Russell on the day. Russell posted a photo of the group on his Instagram story with the caption “Family 4L” with an elephant emoji and another one with two hands forming a heart.

Alabama football teammates and coaches support Keelon Russell at the memorial service for his twin sister Kierston Russell in Tupelo (via Keelon Russell’s Instagram) pic.twitter.com/LPMArTKzLI

— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) June 21, 2025

Earlier in the month, new information emerged regarding the death of Kierston Russell. Police determined there was no criminal activity related to her passing.

“There has been considerable media attention concerning a death investigation that occurred on June 4, 2025,” a statement from the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit said. “After speaking with the family, and in an attempt to quell media inquiries, they have given permission to confirm the death of Kiersten Russell (sister of Keelon Russell). The investigation is ongoing pursuant to the procedures mentioned above, and at this time, appears to be non-criminal in nature. Therefore, at this time, no other information will be released. We ask that the media respect the privacy of the family during this time.”

The Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit will now work alongside the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to further investigate the matter. Captain Jack Kennedy explained the process while speaking to the media on Thursday.

“If no evidence is found of a criminal act, then VCU works as a liaison between ADFS and the family until the death investigation is included,” Kennedy said via The Tuscaloosa Patch. “Some examples of non-criminal death investigations are: natural or medical deaths, death from accidents, and suicides.”

More on Keelon Russell as he enters freshman season at Alabama

Russell played high school football at Duncanville (TX), where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

No starting quarterback has officially been named by DeBoer, even if Ryan Grubb has continually stated that Ty Simpson is the frontrunner. Russell is competing alongside Simpson and Austin Mack. Alabama has not sent a true freshman out there to start in nearly a decade when Jalen Hurts got the nod for head coach Nick Saban.