You knew the expectations were going to be high for Keelon Russell this spring. A 5-star signee, Russell graduated from high school early and made his way to Tuscaloosa to get a jumpstart on his college career. That decision has been worth it.
Is Russell the frontrunner to start Week 1 against Florida State? No, that'd be Ty Simpson, who separated himself from the pack in recent weeks. However, don't think for a second that this means that Russell is behind when it comes to his development.
With how highly rated he was, it's easy to forget he's still only 17, turning 18 next week. Were there some ups and downs? Of course, but offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb not only said he exceeded expectations at camp, but that he also reminds him of a former first-round pick:
Alabama OC Ryan Grubb said QB Keelon Russell 'exceeded his expectations' this spring.
— Blake Byler (@blakebyler45) April 14, 2025
Said he reminds him of Michael Penix.
Ryan Grubb didn't hesitate in saying Keelon Russell reminds him of Michael Penix
Yeah, mentioning Russell and Penix in the same sentence sure is great. While Penix is still waiting to put on a show in the NFL, he was so much fun to watch playing for Grubb at Washington. With Penix running UW's offense in 2023, the Huskies nearly won the natty - they lost to Michigan with the trophy on the line.
Grubb knows all about grooming young quarterbacks into standouts and that's exactly what he wants to get done with Russell too. This past cycle, Russell was only behind Michigan's Bryce Underwood in terms of the QB rankings for the 2025 class.
Russell has all the intangibles to be an All-SEC player for the Tide, but it's going to take some more time for him to learn the system and get up to speed. The thought of him pushing for the QB1 job was fun, but we've got to be patient with him and not just throw him into the fire before he's ready. This is something Grubb and Kalen DeBoer fully understand. Russell is only going to get better moving forward - his potential has no limits.