Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell was widely regarded as one of the most highly anticipated recruits in Crimson Tide history following his time at Duncanville High School.
Russell is set to make his second start with the Tide this weekend, as Alabama will be on the road in Lexington for a matchup against Kentucky. The rising star flashed his versatility on numerous occasions throughout his debut, and Russell will now face the first true test of his young career against a talented Wildcats’ defense on Saturday.
Russell originally committed to Alabama in 2024, as the former 5-star plus recruit drew interest from a plethora of prestigious programs across the country. The sophomore was the Tide’s third string quarterback throughout his freshman campaign, as Russell was a backup to former Crimson Tide star Ty Simpson throughout the 2025 season.
Russell recently took a moment to speak about his time playing behind Simpson in year one, as the sophomore claims it was an extremely valuable experience considering his transition from high school to the collegiate level.
“I’ve never had an ego, I was always humble.” Russell said. “I never talked about my accolades, I never talked about anything I won in my life. So when I got here, it was so much stuff to learn coming from high school to college. The systems changed, the speed of the game changed.”
Russell continued to go further in depth on experience playing behind Simpson last season.
“I was hard on myself coming in as a freshman. I didn’t get the playbook right away, and like I said I learned so much from Ty. I’m actually glad that I got to sit behind a top 20 prospect in the draft, he understands what it is to be a quarterback at the University of Alabama. I’m not saying that I couldn’t do it, but it was better off that I didn’t get that starting job and it makes me better as a quarterback. Understanding that my time is going to come, the process is the process.”
Simpson recorded 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns as Alabama’s starting quarterback last season and was the Los Angeles Rams’ first round selection in the NFL Draft just four months later. The former Tide star spent four total seasons at Alabama, and Simpson appears to have played a role in Russell’s development last year following his comments.
Simpson was nothing short of elite throughout the majority of the 2025 campaign, and Russell now finds himself with an excellent opportunity to replicate his success as the Tide’s starting quarterback throughout 2026.
