Who is Alabama's quarterback? Keelon Russell stats, 247 ranking, highlights and more

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For the third time in as many seasons at Alabama, Kalen DeBoer will have a different quarterback running his offense.

The third-year Crimson Tide coach will now place the offense in the hands of his youngest playmaker yet in Tuscaloosa, and in a critical year for a program looking to rebound from last year's lopsided College Football Playoff loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

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That player is none other than Keelon Russell, who won a hotly contested quarterback battle with Austin Mack, last season's primary backup to first-round pick Ty Simpson.

Russell, a highly touted recruit out of Duncanville High School in Texas, was the third-string quarterback as a true freshman, appearing in just two games as a reserve against Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Illinois.

In Russell, Alabama has an inexperienced quarterback who has just 37 career snaps under his belt — but also one who has a ton of upside and potential. He threw for 7,444 passing yards and 97 career touchdowns in high school at Duncanville, completing 71.3% of his passing attempts.

He'll get his first career start for the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide on Saturday, Sept. 5 against East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Here's what to know of Russell:

Who is Alabama quarterback?

Alabama is starting Russell at quarterback in the Week 1 opener against ECU. Russell beat out the veteran Mack for the starting job and first-team reps.

As noted by Colin Gay of The Tuscaloosa News — part of the USA TODAY Network — the Crimson Tide's 6-foot-3 quarterback is the most inexperienced Alabama quarterback to be named as a starter since Jalen Hurts in 2016.

"He continues to feel comfortable with this offense, command of the offense, execution," DeBoer said during a media availability on Aug. 24 when explaining why Russell won the job over Mack. "He's done a better job, with more and more reps, as you'd expect, taking care of the football. Balancing that with the ability to just be explosive, not be too conservative."

DeBoer added that Russell's poise was a key factor in the decision, emphasizing the quarterback's ability to not allow any moment to become too big for him.

"The guys believe in him. He has a voice out there. He's not afraid to speak up and be vocal, and I think that's even more so now that he's been named the starting quarterback. You just feel, when he's out there yelling out calls, trying to get guys lined up, pulling them in, whatever the situation is. It's him and the guys all believe in him and they are going to do what he says."

Quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis, speaking to Yea Alabama, the Crimson Tide's NIL collective, said this of the new starter: "Keelon is going to be the starting quarterback here because he's a playmaker."

Russell had also been the pick of former Alabama coach Nick Saban.

"This guy is a talented guy who is a playmaker who can make plays, and whether he's ready to play now or not — obviously, the coaches have to determine that — he is going to be an outstanding player in the future," Saban said on the SEC Network in July at SEC Media Day.

Keelon Russell stats

Russel completed 21-of-33 passes for 240 yards in Alabama's spring game to go along with four touchdowns and an interception. Last season, he completed 11-of-15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the two games he appeared in last season against the University of Louisiana Monroe and Eastern Illinois.

Below is a look at Russell's career stats at Alabama:

  • 2025: 11 of 15 passing (73%) for 143 yards and two throwing touchdowns | three carries for 17 rushing yards

Keelon Russell 247 rankings

  • Star rating: 5 stars
  • National ranking: No. 2 overall
  • Quarterback ranking: No. 2 overall
  • State ranking: No. 1 player from Texas

Russell was a significant win on the recruiting trail for DeBoer at Alabama, who at the time he flipped his commitment from SMU to the Crimson Tide in June 2024 was a four-star, top-100 recruit in 247Sports' Composite rankings. He later rocketed up the rankings, finishing as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 class, behind only Michigan signal-caller Bryce Underwood.

Keelon Russell highlights

Here are Russell's highlights from 2025 and during his senior highlights at Duncanville:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Alabama's quarterback? Keelon Russell stats, 247 ranking, highlights and more

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