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WATCH: SMU commit Keelon Russell shines in State Championship

On3 imageby:Billy Embody•12/19/23•

BillyEmbody

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ARLINGTON, Texas — 2025 Duncanville (Tex.) quarterback Keelon Russell nabbed a second straight state championship, leading his team to a 49-33 win over Houston (Tex.) North Shore. The SMU quarterback commit felt like his team came together for the perfect storm to win it all in AT&T Stadium.

“Being a back-to-back champion is great,” Russell told On3. “Everything went great. We lost a couple times, we got beat on, lost to DeSoto. Really humbled us. We had to really come out and prove a point that not only can we bounce back, but we can do this over and over again.

“We’ve proven everybody wrong. Everybody said it was a fluke. Everybody said that we weren’t going to bounce back. We’re doing everything that everybody said we wasn’t gonna do. It’s all memories and this is one of the memories we wanted to have.”

Russell went 14-for-20 passing for 288 yards and amassed four total touchdowns against North Shore. This fall, he committed to the hometown Mustangs over Ole Miss and others to further the program’s momentum on the recruiting trail.

“It came down to getting close to the coaches, having a feel for the atmosphere, having a feel for being at the college,” Russell told On3. “The relationships are outstanding. They see me being the next big thing at SMU.”

“When I come up there, they want to make that whole offense around me,” he added. “As a 2025 QB recruit, having a relationship with the players is big as well, especially for a QB, having a chemistry with the receivers and knowing what you can do and getting me ready the next few years at SMU.”

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Russell’s the No. 247 overall prospect and No. 21 quarterback nationally.

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