Alabama football quarterback commit Keelon Russell was named MVP of the Elite 11 finals on Thursday. The three-day event wrapped up Thursday in California, with a 7-on-7 showcase, one Russell shined in according to multiple reports.

Russell flipped his commitment to Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide earlier in June. The 2025 prospect initially pledged to SMU.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound signal-caller thanked the Elite 11 in a social media post after winning the MVP. He became the first Alabama commit to win the award since Tua Tagovailoa in 2016.

“Real nice to spin it vs the top dudes in the country,” Russell wrote. “Also want to say thank you to everyone for showing love . This process is just the beginning we are headed for plenty of more down the road.”

Russell is a four-star prospect from Duncanville, Texas. The 247Sports composite ranks Russell as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class.

He’s led Duncanville to two consecutive state titles. Russell threw for 3,483 yards and 38 touchdowns last season.

“Accurate to the first two levels and gets the ball out fast,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins said in his assessment of Russell. “Slides around the pocket with his limber movement patterns and has both the speed and agility to turn scrambles into back-breaking gains. More of a one-read anticipatory thrower at this stage, but isn’t afraid to plant his flag and take a hit as he scans the field. Has also proven to be a rather efficient distributor on the move with the touch to drop passes into tight windows. Should be viewed as one of the more exciting signal callers in the 2025 cycle.”

The Elite 11 is the nation’s most prestigious quarterbacks showcase. Julian Sayin won MVP of the event last year, enrolling at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State following Nick Saban’s retirement.