‘No more mess-ups.’ That’s likely the motto of Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer as he enters his first full season in Tuscaloosa. After all, following the Nick Saban era, Alabama endured a disappointing 9-4 campaign last year. The only way to rectify that this season? Better quarterback play this fall. With new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb at the helm, they simply need the right signal-caller running the offense.

That’s where 5-star freshman Keelon Russell enters the chat, showcasing his updated body stats. As his video from Alabama’s spring practice went viral, Alabama fans began to express skepticism about the quarterback.

How Keelon Russell is turning heads

Russell arrived in Alabama with all kinds of hype. The Duncanville (Texas) High School standout was graded the No. 2 recruit overall in the 2025 recruiting class. The QB committed to DeBoer’s program in January. So, finally, he got his first taste of Bama football in the spring practice. The fight for the QB1 spot is real. Russell has to compete against Austin Mack and Ty Simpson. And guess what? The QB has already wooed the HC. As post-spring practice, DeBoer said in an interview, “He looks good right now. Strong. Moves around. He’s just a good all-around athlete.” On March 3, Recruits Bama tweeted sharing Russell’s clip from the practice. 

A part of the caption read, “Here’s a first look at 5 ⭐️ Freshman QB Keelon Russell throwing in an #Alabama uniform 👀…Do you think Russell will be named the starting QB?? 🤔” Listed at 6-3, the freshman has bulked up from 175 to 192 pounds—a serious gain. Despite his talent, he lacked the recognition for top-tier college competition prior. But now, 17 pounds heavier, DeBoer might be more optimistic about his potential. The HC even said, “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.”

Kalen DeBoer thinks that better days are coming for Russell, as he stated, “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 a minimum three times a week.” Well,  for so long Russell had everything a QB needs. He came off with a 70.8% completion rate in high school. Plus, he is a package who can attract at all three levels of the field. Now that he is devoting extra hours to the gym, he ticks off all the factors. But the fans are simply not okay with it.  

Alabama fans do not envision Keelon Russell as QB1 

As the QB drama in Tuscaloosa gets intense, the fans have created a picture in their minds about whom they want to see in the QB1 spot. Redshirt junior Simpson has the most collegiate experience. By fall, he will gain some more experience that will give him a leg up in the experience column. A fan thus commented, “Ty is the overall pick simply because of leadership qualities and playing under Deboer already. More to playing QB than a beautiful spiral.”

Having played as Tide’s primary backup in front of both Dylan Lonergan and Mack, Simpson has proved himself. He has the inside track to be the team’s starter; as a fan wrote, “Ty Simpson has earned it.” Well, the numbers do all the talking. Simpson threw for 1,888 yards as a junior on just 203 attempts with 20 touchdowns. Even though Russell threw 12 games and had 3,652 passing yards, here enters the talent vs. experience debate. And Russell, as a freshman, lacks in the latter. 

In case Simpson does not make the cut, it will be Mack’s turn. After all, the QB has the most experience in this system, having followed DeBoer and company from Washington. So, if not Simpson, Russell would still not stand a chance. Thus, a fan was skeptical and commented, “Uhhhhh yeah… didn’t think so before but …” As a first-year starter, he completed 269 of 382 pass attempts (70.4 percent) for 3,498 yards with 40 TD. So, the question remains, will the high school star be able to live up to that ceiling?

The fact that Keelon Russell suffered an ankle injury at the 2025 Under Armour All-American Game led him to catch some side-eye. As a fan clearly said, “Nope,” on his chances at the QB1 role. “I know exactly who will be named the starter,” one wrote. And that’s going to be either Simpson or Mack. Will Kalen DeBoer stick to his trusted vets or roll the dice on the wild card, Keelon Russell?