He faces tough odds as the long true freshman competing for Alabama football’s starting quarterback job, but Keelon Russell has already impressed Kalen DeBoer. After the first practice of spring ball on Monday, the Crimson Tide’s head coach was asked how Russell ranked in terms of freshman QB readiness, compared to what he had seen throughout his career.

DeBoer gave a glowing review of the five-star youngster.

“He’s up there,” DeBoer said. “He certainly is. He’s got a long way to go because I think that’s the way he looks at it. He’s excited about what this growth’s going to be even during 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 initially committed to SMU before flipping to Alabama. He won the Elite 11 MVP after joining the Crimson Tide’s 2024 recruiting class.

He gained weight in the leadup to spring football, going from 175 pounds to 192 when the Crimson Tide’s roster was updated Monday.

“He looks good right now,” DeBoer said. “Strong and moves around. He’s just a good all-around athlete. The weight program, certainly for any new guy, is going to be critical. It’s good to get that first phase under your belt. That’s why being an early enrollee is so important. Obviously now and through the spring, the reason, there’s multiple reasons, but one of the reasons why we go every other day and not back-to-back ever is just so we can get big days of lifting in, really, a minimum three times a week.”

Russell is competing with two returnees to replace Jalen Milroe as the Crimson Tide’s quarterback. Ty Simpson, the presumed frontrunner, served as UA’s primary backup for the past two seasons, while Austin Mack followed DeBoer from Washington before the 2024 campaign.

On Monday, DeBoer shared what he is looking for from whoever eventually wins the job.

“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.”

Alabama continues spring practice through April 12, when it will play the A-Day game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The spring game will not be televised.