Alabama football landed one of the country’s top recruits in freshman quarterback Keelon Russell. That’s not hyperbole.

Flipping Russell from SMU, he was the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite. Nick Sheridan, the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, led the way in his recruitment.

Russell arrived in Tuscaloosa in January and took part in his second spring practice with the team Wednesday. The Alabama quarterback competition is in its infancy, and Russell figures to be in the mix along with Ty Simpson and Austin Mack.

“He’s excited about what this growth’s going to be even during this spring,” Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday. “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.”

Would Russell really be able to start right away as a true freshman? Or will he need some time to develop?

Wednesday’s practice provided the first chance for reporters to see Russell in action on the practice field in Tuscaloosa. UA provided a 20-minute or so viewing period, which didn’t provide much of a glimpse. Just individual drills, really. There was nothing against defenses. Certainly nothing close to live football. But it was a glimpse nonetheless.

AL.com spent the entire viewing period watching Russell. We’ve seen Simpson and Mack practice before. So, we decided to focus on Russell the first chance we had. Here’s what we noticed.

Keelon Russell observations from Alabama football practice

• During the first portion of practice that reporters got to see, the quarterbacks were throwing passes to receivers against air toward the corner of the end zone. One pass that stood out was a throw Russell made to running back Daniel Hill on the right side. It took some touch, and Russell dropped it right over Hill’s shoulder. The next throw, however, was a little off target from the receiver. Then Russell hit Rico Scott on a throw that looked to be about 10-15 yards near the sideline allowing Scott to go into the end zone. Exact distances were difficult to determine because most of the quarterback passing occurred on the far side of the field, away from where reporters could stand.
• Then the quarterbacks threw against air in the other direction of the end zone, throwing passes that required touch from about 20 yards out, among other routes.
• At one point, Russell hit Ryan Williams on a short pass near the sideline.
• One thing that stood out about this passing drill: Russell maximized his reps. The whistle blew and the clock hit zero, signaling it was time to move to another drill. Russell quick got one more throw in, hitting walk-on receiver Miguel Camboia on a short outside route.
• Drill 2: The quarterbacks practiced handoffs and the footwork involved in that. They completed this drill closer to reporters, so it provided more of a chance to see Russell up close. He’s fairly slim, even after the weight gain. Russell is now listed at 6-3, 192 pounds, up from 175. It’s easy to see he’s the smallest of the three quarterbacks, which makes sense considering time spent in college. Simpson and Mack look like they’ve been part of college strength programs for multiple years, because they have. Russell doesn’t as much, which makes sense considering he’s only been in Tuscaloosa since January. Simpson is listed at 6-2, 210 pounds and Mack is listed at 6-6, 235 pounds.
• The pecking order through these handoffs, for whatever it’s worth, went Simpson, Mack then Russell. That’s likely because of seniority.

• Drill 3: The quarterbacks took shotgun snaps and threw routes downfield along the sideline against air once again. Then the quarterbacks threw routes across the middle. Russell had one throw that was a rifle to freshman tight end Marshall Pritchett across the middle.
• After that throw, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb took a minute to coach up Russell. Grubb was demonstrating as if he were a quarterback moving his feet in the pocket while looking for a receiver downfield.
• Speaking of coaching, Russell is going to have plenty of good input. During the media viewing period, DeBoer, Grubb, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan and offensive analyst Mitch Dahlen could all be seen spending some time working with the quarterbacks. That’s good news for Russell, who will have a chance to hear from several experienced voices. DeBoer, Grubb, Sheridan and Dahlen were all together in Washington working with Michael Penix Jr. DeBoer, Grubb and Dahlen all worked with Jake Haener at Fresno State too. Both Penix and Haener became NFL quarterbacks.
• The rest of the time: Quarterbacks spent the rest of the media viewing period throwing a few different types of routes to pass catchers, some against a staffer pretending to be a defender and provide slight coverage of a receiver, tight end or running back. Others were against air. One throw that stood out: Russell hit Jaylen Mbakwe on a pass against air downfield. Russell also found Germie Bernard on a seam route at one point.

Final thoughts

Drawing conclusions about the quarterback battle and Russell’s chances is not reasonable based on this viewing. It’s about four periods of practice, and not even against a defense. But, it still was good to get first-look at Russell practicing to see him work in person.

Though he looks like a freshman physically, he can certainly throw the football well. Take that for what it’s worth and don’t make it more than it is. How that translates into actual football won’t be determined until we get to see him in some actual game action.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.