With 2024 starer Jalen Milroe officially headed for the NFL Draft, the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Kalen DeBoer are now in the market for a starting quarterback in 2025. That starting quarterback may just well end up being true fresh Keelon Russell, a five-star member of the 2025 recruiting class and the No. 2 overall recruit in the country according to 247Sports.
But in order to start for the Crimson Tide, Russell is going to need to impress in spring and summer practices. And in order to do that, he must remain healthy. Which is why Bama fans were all holding their breath when he suffered an ugly looking ankle injury in Thursday’s Under Armour All-American Game.
Alabama QB Commit Keelon Russell Avoids Major Injury On Awkward Hit
Russell, who had played well in the game prior to the injury, took an awkward hit and got folded over his right ankle, which rolled in an unnatural direction. Thankfully for Tide fans, Russell told coaches he was able to return. But with it being an All-American Game, they opted to keep him out the rest of the game.
Russell is both a dynamic runner and an elite passer. He has every skill you’d want to come in and compete at a high level right away. And with Alabama thin at the quarterback position with Milroe gone, it’s extremely important to the Tide that Russell remain healthy.
Andrew Ivins of 247 gave him a glowing review in his final scouting report.
“Elite playmaker for the quarterback position with no shortage of valuable game reps that knows how to feather the fine line between risk and reward,” Ivins wrote. “Has proven to be one of the most accurate passers in the 2025 cycle and at the halfway point of his senior campaign owned a Top247-best 70.8 percent career completion percentage. Can attack all three levels of the field with precision and get the ball out fast as he alters his release point and is quick to improvise.
“Blessed with both the speed and agility to turn scrambles into back-breaking gains, but is the type of signal caller that’s going to try and win with his arm as he slides away from pressure and slips out of sacks.”
Russell narrowly avoided disaster in the All-American game. And now DeBoer and company will likely do everything they can to bubble wrap the early enrollee before he arrives on campus in Tuscaloosa.
Leave a Reply