Keelon Russell named new starting quarterback for Alabama football
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After another offseason quarterback competition, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is turning to sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell as the successor to Ty Simpson.
Russell, who is considered the highest-ranked recruit in the program’s history according to 247 Sports, beat out 2025 backup Austin Mack.
“He does that with his arm, he does that with his legs. That’s what’s made him special, that’s why we recruited him in the first place. We saw that and he’s just continued to grow. You want to win a battle because another guy pushed you to be your best, not because another guy failed. I think that’s really what happened here.”
Kalen DeBoer via Yea Alabama
Keep reading to learn more about the Crimson Tide’s new star + the team’s history of first-year quarterbacks.
Who is Keelon Russell?
Russell, a 5-star recruit from Texas, was in the mix last season along with Austin Mack and Ty Simpson but his lack of experience slotted him into the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
The former Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas still played in two games with the Crimson Tide, completing 11-of-15 passes for 143 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
There were talks that this year’s quarterback competition could leak into the regular season but Russell clearly showed enough in the preseason to claim the starting job two weeks before Week 1.
“That’s the expectation. Can he live up to it? Well, it depends on what you believe, and what a young player who has never seen live bullets can deal with.”
Paul Finebaum on Keelon Russell
Oh, and a note for Alabama fans: the official pronunciation guide for Keelon is Key-lin, not Key-lawn.
Third starting QB for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama
Russell will be the third starting quarterback in the three-year Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa, following Simpson and Jalen Milroe.
First-year starting quarterbacks have had plenty of success at Alabama in recent years including:
- Ty Simpson: 30 total TDs, 3,567 passing yards, 11-4 record, SEC Championship Game appearance, CFP appearance
- Jalen Milroe: 35 total TDs, 6th in Heisman voting, 12-2 record, SEC Champions, CFP appearance
- Bryce Young: 50 total TDs, Heisman winner, 13-2 record, SEC Champions, National Championship Game appearance
- Mac Jones: 42 total TDs, 3rd in Heisman voting, 13-0 record, SEC Champions, National Champions
- Tua Tagovailoa: 48 total TDs, 2nd in Heisman voting, 14-1 record, SEC Champions, National Championship Game appearance
- Jalen Hurts: 36 total TDs, 14-1 record, SEC Champions, National Championship Game appearance
The last six first-year starting quarterbacks led the Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship Game and all of them made it to the College Football Playoff in year one.
