Scouting Journals for Keelon Russell

Well-rounded, instinctive quarterback prospect with surgical passing ability, good athleticism and a battle-tested resume . Measured at 6-foot-3 ⅛, 181 pounds with a 9 ⅝-inch hand at the On3 Elite Series prior to his senior season. Grew over half an inch as a junior. At the dials of one of the most talented offenses in high school football, leading Duncanville to back-to-back state titles in Texas highest classification as a sophomore and junior. Showed steady improvement over his final year of high school, winning the Elite 11 Finals MVP and taking his game to another level as a senior. Highly effective and efficient as a distributor. Plays with excellent timing and accuracy. Arm strength took a jump as a senior, delivering with outstanding zip to the intermediate area of the field. Shows elite pocket presence at this stage. Unaffected by pressure and shows a willingness to step up and deliver in messy pockets. A good decision-maker who runs Duncanville’s offense at a high level. One of the most efficient quarterbacks in the 2025 cycle, completing 74.1% of his passes for 3,267 yards and 35 touchdowns against 3 interceptions over 15 games as a junior. Also rushed for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns. A good athlete as a runner. More dangerous as a rushing threat than his production would indicate. Effective as a scrambler and has a good feel for when to tuck it and run. Showed more playmaking ability as a senior, making some astounding improvisational plays. Processes the game well and plays quickly mentally. Competitive and plays well in big moments. Should not have as big of an adjustment to the speed of the game as some of his peers, given his battle-tested resume. At his best when delivering from a set platform. Plays with a loaded supporting cast featuring multiple Power 4 prospects that maximizes yards after the catch. Has a thin, lean build and will need to continue getting bigger and stronger to hold up in the pocket, particularly at the NFL level. One of the younger top quarterbacks in the 2025 cycle, with a late April birthday. Consistent improvement over the past year in high school points to a favorable upside.

Keelon Russell made a big statement on Day 3, turning in arguably the cleanest 7-on-7 session of the day. The Alabama pledge made good decisions and diced up the defense, as we charted him on target on 19 of 25 passes (including dropped passes) for five touchdowns. Russell did a great job taking what the defense gave him and was highly effective at working underneath and over the middle of the field, delivering with velocity and accuracy. The 6-foot-3, 181-pounder showed a live arm and bouncy movement skills throughout the week. He was very steady on Day 1, had a solid pro day workout on Day 2 and was hyper efficient on Day 3. Similar to Deuce Knight, Russell is a prospect who has shown continual improvement over the offseason. A one-time SMU commit who recently flipped to the Crimson Tide, Russell has a well-rounded skill set and finished with a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals.

One of the top signal callers at the camp today, Russell spun it very well. Still raw at the position, but he has a good looking frame that will add solid weight and his athleticism adds another layer to his game. Ball jumps out of his hand well, just needs to clean up some mechanics and ball placement. He still has all the time in the world to develop and has some of the best physical traits at the position.