Alabama football landed one of the top QBs in the country in the 2025 recruiting cycle with 5-star Keelon Russell, who is expected to compete immediately for the starting job alongside Ty Simpson and Austin Mack.
It can be difficult to sign another highly touted QB the year after you land a stud like the Crimson did with Russell. That hasn't stopped Kalen DeBoer and company from trying, however.
According to a report from On3's Tennessee site Volquest, Alabama is working hard to flip 5-star QB and Tennessee commitment Faizon Brandon. Brandon was quoted in the piece talking about Alabama and LSU still recruiting him:
“LSU and Alabama both, they continue to try to recruit me heavily,” Brandon said. “But I let them know that I’m 100 percent locked in. But I won’t break any bonds or burn any bridges or anything like that. Still want to just keep relationships, because you never know what can happen, so I don’t try to brush them off or anything like that. I just keep the relationship. But I tell them that I’m locked in with Tennessee, though.”
We all know that "locked in" means very little in recruiting nowadays. It never really meant much, but it means less than it ever has now. The Crimson Tide still feels like they are in this race and it's a good thing to hear him mention them specifically when asked about teams that are still actively going after him.
Brandon is one of the elite players in the 2026 recruiting class. 247 has him as the No. 1 overall player in the class. The composite rankings have him 6th overall. He is elite and teams will not stop recruiting him until he officially signs in December (and probably not even then.)
The path to playing time early is much clearer at Tennessee than at Alabama in 2026. Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava is draft-eligible after next season and at most would have one additional year of eligibility in 2026 as a senior.
If it's NIL money that is a factor, the Vols proved with Iamaleava that they will not be outbid for the QB they want.
Russell figures to have a stranglehold on the job starting in 2026 and holding it for at least two seasons, meaning the first path to playing time might not be until 2028 for the next QB Alabama recruits.
The other QB targets for Alabama in 2026
Alabama has been linked to Houston 5-star commitment Keisean Henderson as well. Alabama successfully flipped Russell from his commitment to SMU so maybe lightining strikes twice in Texas.
Landon Duckworth from Jackson, AL is the top QB in the state for the 2026 cycle, but he doesn't yet hold an offer from either Alabama or Auburn, which figures to be pretty telling.
Alabama could be looking at a more off the radar player at QB in the 2026 class as it is always difficult to sign back-to-back elite players at the position because everyone wants to play early and it's rare for players to be willing to sit for two years anymore.
Last month, Alabama extended an offer to 4-star Derek Zammit from Wayne, New Jersey. Zammit is ranked as the 389th overall player and the No. 26 QB in the 247 composite rankings, but could be a long-term developmental player for the Crimson Tide who provides quality depth.
247 lists Zammit with 22 offers, including Boston College, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisville, Mississippi State, and North Carolina.
Zammit was offered at the same Henderson was, shortly after Alabama announced Ryan Grubb had been hired as the offensive coordinator.