Kalen DeBoer explains why Keelon Russell won Alabama QB job
Published:
This era of college football isn’t conducive to true quarterback battles. The Alabama Crimson Tide had one this offseason, though, and recently named former 5-star recruit Keelon Russell the winner of that competition.
Russell, the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 class, per 247Sports Composite rankings, beat out fourth-year player Austin Mack for the starting job. When asked why Russell was his choice, head coach Kalen DeBoer pointed to his poise and approach.
Like our coverage? Make SDS a preferred source in your searches!
“He’s got great poise… he’s gonna carry himself and do the work. To me, he’s a great leader. I think both of our guys were, but Keelon has this presence about him that’s just really impressive,” DeBoer explained. “Big moments never seemed too big for him… he’s not afraid to speak up, be vocal… whatever the situation is.”
Russell made two appearances as a freshman, completing a combined 73.3% of his passes (11/15) for 143 yards and two touchdowns versus Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Illinois. The opposition will be much more fierce for him this season, especially with the SEC now playing 9 conference games. Russell’s first start will come versus East Carolina — a tougher foe than ULM and EIU — on Sept. 5 (noon ET, ABC).
