Alabama commit Keelon Russell won the Elite 11 Finals MVP award after a terrific performance at the nation’s premier quarterback showcase. The Duncanville (Texas) star stood atop the 20-man field at the Elite 11 Finals with his three days of high-level play, shining in workouts and 7-on-7 action. With his commitment flip last month from SMU to Alabama, the Crimson Tide could now build the rest of its 2025 recruiting class around one of the top signal-callers in the cycle.
Russell is a four-star prospect who made a steep climb up the rankings this spring, jumping from outside the Top247 to the No. 63 overall spot in the class during the March update. He entered the Elite 11 Finals as the No. 39 overall prospect and No. 7 quarterback for the 2025 cycle, and his stock only continues to rise.
“It’s amazing,” Russell told 247Sports’ Tom Loy after he earned the MVP honor. “The feeling is great. Just coming out here and competing all week, getting the job done, it feels great. This is just one part of my success journey. There’s plenty more to come. I’m wanting to get that Heisman Trophy next.”
As a two-year starter at Duncanville, Russell led his squad to back-to-back Texas 6A Division I state championships with a combined 29-1 record. He took over as the team’s starting quarterback as a sophomore in the 2022 season opener and ran away with the job, posting more than 2,500 total yards of offense in that campaign and nearly 4,000 yards as a junior.
“It boosts my confidence,” said Russell. “Skyrocket. Just coming out here and competing against the top dudes in the country, it makes me feel like I can do anything… I just can’t wait to see what I’ve got for the future.”
Russell became the headliner of Alabama’s recruiting class when he flipped his pledge from SMU. He remains the top-ranked prospect in the Crimson Tide’s first haul under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, ahead of seven other Top247 prospects including linebacker Darrell Johnson, safety Derick Smith and defensive lineman Antonio Coleman.
Coming up next for Russell, he says, is a run at a third-straight state championship. He will join the Alabama roster ahead of the 2025 season and could compete for playing time early in his career with incumbent starter Jalen Milroe either leaving for the NFL Draft at the end of the upcoming campaign or taking one final year of eligibility into 2025.
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“Kyler Murray — I’m coming for that, the history book,” Russell said. “I want to go down as the best quarterback in Texas history. Getting that three-peat with Dakorien Moore and the top other dudes, that’s going to mean everything to me. Getting that and going for 4,000 yards throwing. I’m going to be a guy that gets 300-some yards in one game rushing. It’s a lot of stuff that I can’t wait to see in my future in this coming fall.”
