Kalen DeBoer on where Keelon Russell stands against freshmen QBs he's coached: 'He's up there'

With Jalen Milroe off to the NFL, there will be a new quarterback leading the Crimson Tide next season. While redshirt junior Ty Simpson is the frontrunner to fill that role, there’s no shortage of buzz around five-star freshman Keelon Russell.

On Monday, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer only gave fans more to be excited about when asked where Russell ranks among the true freshman QBs he’s coached over the years.

“He’s up there, he certainly is,” DeBoer said. “He’s got a long ways to go, I think that’s the way he looks at it. He’s excited about what this growth is gonna be, even in this spring. But his ceiling and what he accomplished through what you can see on the high school film, he’s a pretty elite quarterback coming in as a high school senior, current freshman for us.”

Russell was the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Despite his age, Russell isn’t built like a freshman. He’s 6-foot-3 and has reportedly put on 17 pounds since joining Alabama. DeBoer is happy with the progress the Texas native has made so early in the offseason.

“I saw him last summer, and saw him in person for one game last fall. He’s in pads and all that for that time, too. He looks good right now, strong and moves around,” DeBoer said. “He’s a good all-around athlete. The weight program for him is certainly — any new guy is gonna be critical. It’s good to get that first phase under the belt, that’s why being an early enrollee is so important. 

“Now, even through the spring, the reason we go every other day and not back-to-back ever is so we can get big days of lifting in. Really at minimum three times a week.”

Keelon Russell has been impressive thus far but the competition to be Alabama’s QB1 is far from over. Along with Simpson, Russell will be competing against redshirt sophomore Austin Mack for the coveted starting spot.

DeBoer knows exactly what he’s looking for from Alabama’s next star QB.

“It’s got to be a guy who can deliver the ball, command the huddle, command everything we do with the team,” DeBoer said. “That presence, that belief and confidence in your signal caller.

“It starts with a lot of that — just the belief. The belief comes because you’re making the throws and you’re getting the ball in a fashion where they can go make their plays and reap the rewards of all the work they’ve put in.”