Ladies and gentlemen, the youngster has arrived. For the 2025 class, Alabama Crimson Tide fans were quite fired up when Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff were able to land the signature of 5-star quarterback Keelon Russell, who is expected to compete for the starting job.
With spring camp starting on Monday, the Alabama faithful were given their first look at Russell, who enrolled early in Tuscaloosa. Things have been going great on campus for him thus far, but now it's time to suit up and throw the ball around a bit.
At practice, Russell sure looked like he was more than comfortable. Thanks to Alabama athletics, everyone was given a first look at him getting in some work at the college level. To say he throws a pretty ball would be an understatement:
Here’s a first look at 5 ⭐️ Freshman QB Keelon Russell throwing in an #Alabama uniform 👀
— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) March 3, 2025
The former #2 player in the nation will compete against RS SO Austin Mack and RS JR Ty Simpson for QB1
Do you think Russell will be named the starting QB?? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/8Sgaa6EsZa
5-star QB Keelon Russell is ready to push for the starting job at Alabama
Yes, the players are in shorts and they're not suited up in pads. Still, it's hard not to get excited over this kid, right? Russell arrived in Tuscaloosa with monumental expectations. He's an elite prospect, joining Alabama as a five-star recruit, the No. 2 quarterback in the country and No. 2 player overall nationally per the 247Sports Composite.
More than 20 programs put an offer on the table for the Texas native, but he chose Alabama over SMU, Ole Miss, Baylor, California, Oregon, Florida, Texas A&M and many others. Russell has all the tools to be a superstar in the SEC, which is why so many people are excited about his future.
DeBoer knows he has tremendous potential, but he's also not going to rush in making a QB1 decision. Ty Simpson and Austin Mack are also ready to make noise and push for the starting job. There's still plenty of time until Week 1 gets here too.
With that said, Russell is the exciting new face in town and he's not going to let his age have a negative impact on the QB battle. Yes, he's a baby-faced freshman, but that doesn't matter. Russell graduated early to put himself in a strong position to compete. So far, things are off to a good start for him with the Tide, but there's surely a long road ahead for him.