Kalen DeBoer says what Keelon Russell did on A-Day is what he has done all spring

Photo via Alabama Athletics

Keelon Russell garnered a lot of praise after he threw four touchdowns during the Crimson Tide’s annual spring game, A-Day.

Keelon Russell flashed his ability to make plays with his arm and legs on A-Day. 🙌https://t.co/AfMAjObh66 pic.twitter.com/IJYoWjxOw8

— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) April 12, 2026

Russell stood out in multiple ways during the scrimmage. He was able to make some impressive throws and flash his athleticism as a runner of the football. DeBoer told Christian Miller on “The Millers Edge” Russell showed fans what the Alabama staff has seen all spring from the former five-star.

“But that was more of the same of what we’ve seen from Keelon, and Austin was a little bit limited, but Austin’s highlight reel would be something that people would be super impressed with as well,” DeBoer said. “And so Keelon got a chance to take advantage of a few extra reps and I thought he did exactly that, and that’s what he should do, and I’m proud of him for it. Both of them are getting better each and every day.”

Alabama gave Russell a few more reps than Mack towards the end of the scrimmage during the red-zone period, due to Mack being limited. DeBoer thought Russell took full advantage of his increased opportunities over the last week.

“He certainly is taking advantage of the opportunities he’s getting,” said DeBoer. “I thought it was a phenomenal week for him last week.
I thought he grew a lot from scrimmage two to scrimmage three, but he’s been making plays often, been making plays all spring long…Keelon had a great day. I was excited to see him take that next step and continue to grow.”

Alabama’s quarterback competition is still ongoing, with Mack and Russell set to compete for the QB1 role throughout the spring.