On Tuesday, Alabama and their new head coach Kalen DeBoer successfully convinced four-star quarterback Keelon Russell to switch his commitment from SMU to the Crimson Tide. Russell, hailing from Texas, is ranked 38th overall and 6th among quarterbacks in the Class of 2025 according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
He is the first high school quarterback to commit to Alabama since DeBoer took over following Nick Saban’s retirement. Russell explained to ESPN that the Alabama coaching staff provided a clear vision for his development in Tuscaloosa.
“They outlined my position on the depth chart — it’s every quarterback’s dream,” Russell said. “I felt that by accepting the role, I could achieve remarkable things at a high level.” Heading into 2024, Alabama’s quarterback lineup features Jalen Milroe in the top spot, with rising sophomore Ty Simpson and redshirt freshmen Dylan Lonergan and Austin Mack also on the roster. Alabama experienced a setback when their 2024 quarterback commit Julian Sayin switched to Ohio State during the winter.
