Keelon Russell makes his first career start Saturday against East Carolina, replacing first-round pick Ty Simpson after 15 college pass attempts — and a reported NIL pay package valued at $2 million.
The former five-star won the job on Aug. 22 over senior Austin Mack, and Alabama’s offense returns only three starters from a team that finished 11-3.
Russell was born in Dallas on April 24, 2007, and grew up in South Dallas, the third oldest of six children, according to The Dallas Morning News. He is listed at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds and ran the 200, 400 and a school-record 4×400 relay at Duncanville, according to Alabama Athletics.
He committed to SMU in September 2023, then flipped to Alabama on June 4, 2024, becoming the first high school quarterback to pledge to Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa. Every major service made him a unanimous five-star and the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 class, behind only Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, as detailed in On3‘s quarterback breakdown.
Duncanville won back-to-back Texas 6A Division I championships with Russell under center in 2022 and 2023. He threw for 4,177 yards and 55 touchdowns against four interceptions as a senior, then swept the 2024 Gatorade National Player of the Year award and Elite 11 Finals MVP honors.
The results at Alabama were negligible last year. Russell appeared in two games in 2025 behind Simpson, completing 11 of 15 throws for 143 yards and two scores. He added 240 yards and four touchdowns in April’s A-Day scrimmage, according to ESPN insider Pete Thamel.
Alabama Quarterback Keelon Russell’s NIL Package
“Keelon is gonna be the starting quarterback here because he’s a playmaker,” Alabama quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis said, as quoted by On3. That assessment separated Russell from Mack in a competition that ran all offseason.
On3 lists Russell’s NIL package at $2 million for 2026 and marks the deal confirmed, placing him 89th in its NIL100. That figure ranks 23rd nationally among college football players, according to The Sporting News ranking.
Miami’s Darian Mensah ($6.5 million), Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss ($5 million apiece) and Indiana’s Josh Hoover ($4 million) all sit well above him. Russell’s number climbed after he won the job, up from a figure pegged near $1.1 million earlier in the year.
His known endorsements include Panini America, his first deal, and REIGN Total Body Fuel, signed in a July campaign with Caden Durham, his former Duncanville teammate now at LSU.
Alabama Crimson Tide Title Odds and Keelon Russell’s 2026 Expectations
Alabama has not won a national title since 2020 and enters DeBoer’s third season ranked No. 13. Sportsbooks put the Crimson Tide between +1600 and +2500 for the championship, with a win total of 8.5 and a slight lean toward missing the Playoff, according to the Sporting News.
Alabama returns roughly 30% of its offensive snaps, fourth-lowest in the SEC, and the run game ranked 127th nationally in yards per carry last season, per ESPN‘s breakdown. The schedule offers no relief with the Tide at Kentucky in Week 2, then Georgia, at Tennessee, Texas A&M and at LSU.
Russell sits around +2800 in the Heisman market, a long price built on pedigree and fit. Ryan Grubb’s offense produced a Heisman runner-up in Michael Penix Jr. at Washington.
Mack remains the backup, listed second on Alabama’s depth chart behind Russell. The Kentucky clash follows Saturday, Sept. 12, and that trip will mark Russell’s first SEC start.
Alabama QB Keelon Russell: How Much NIL Money Does He Make? Where Does He Rank?