One of many greatest risers within the 2025 recruiting class was five-star quarterback Keelon Russell, who signed with the Alabama Crimson Tide in the course of the early signing interval in December.
Russell, a 6’3”, 185-pound quarterback, was seen because the No. 2 general recruit within the 2025 class in keeping with 247Sports, and had initially been an SMU commit earlier than flipping and remaining dedicated to Alabama.
Nonetheless, whereas he was pledged to the Crimson Tide, there have been nonetheless various suitors coming after the five-star quarterback, and some had some deep pockets.
“As y’all know, cash was getting tossed in direction of me from plenty of colleges,” Russell shared on Sunday. “I wasn’t actually by no means concerning the cash particular person. I felt like that was short-term worth as an alternative of long-term worth. When you do good, such as you receives a commission one million {dollars} and go stink it up in faculty, no booster gonna need to pay that to see you play. Shoot, you would possibly get benched and profession is over. So like, you gotta take into consideration, what I’m saying?”
“If a faculty supplied me 250K proper now to go play for them and subsequent three years I dominate, get Heisman stuff, now you’re [going to be worth] 5 million, what I’m saying? Value 5 million, then you definitely get to the professionals, so it’s simply long-term concerning the NIL stuff. I don’t actually fear about that stuff proper now. I do know that if I do my factor, it’s gonna come regardless.”
When it got here to the choice between Alabama and SMU, it was football-related for Russell, however the flip didn’t cease the Mustangs from making a last-minute push.
“With the flip from SMU to Alabama, the NIL, I imply, it’s nonetheless the identical,” Russell stated. “SMU had some worries, so that they was making an attempt to up it, however I informed them, I used to be like, ‘Hey man, this can be a full household factor. So like, I need you to really feel as if I’m doing this for us.’ So I imply, truthfully, yeah, like I stated, it’s a long-term factor for me.”
Outdoors of SMU and Alabama although, Russell revealed there have been three groups that made a late push for his companies, and that got here with some hefty NIL numbers: Texas, Colorado and LSU.
“They wished me, what I’m saying, to pursue up there,” Russell stated of the three colleges. “My title began to leap round plenty of platforms and stuff. So plenty of coaches opened up their eyes and Alabama was there earlier than it even all occurred. So I revered them for that. And shoot, Alabama got here to my apply, appeared most likely one of many worst practices as a quarterback. Actually, I used to be off that day and for them to even give me the possibility to be their quarterback and noticed one thing into me.”
Nonetheless, there have been discussions about doubtlessly taking visits to these colleges as numbers have been being tossed round.
“It was, it was [a real thought],” Russell acknowledged. “Like, truthfully, who wouldn’t need to go to Colorado for actual? I imply, so it was, it was one thing that I used to be fascinated about after which phrases began getting round, false stuff. So I shut it down, stated, ‘Nah, I can’t do this.’
“So LSU, I used to be type of fascinated about it as nicely. Colorado, I used to be fascinated about it. Texas, I used to be fascinated about happening there. I really went down there and earlier than I dedicated to Alabama, so I used to be type of fascinated about plenty of it somewhat bit, however needed to keep dwelling, keep truthful to the world, to my followers and my individuals. [The three schools] threw some numbers. I imply, I can’t actually speak about that. I do know it’s, it’s huge. Simply know that it’s huge.”
On the finish of the day, whereas the cash was legit for Russell, his most important focus was soccer, which led him to the Crimson Tide.
“However like I stated, I ain’t actually anxious concerning the cash, man. I’m right here to ball. I’m right here to play ball. They was doing it free again then. I’m doing it for [me] proper now, within the coronary heart, however simply getting the cash on the again finish, what I imply? So, yeah, nevertheless it was some presents thrown at me, clearly, being one of many top-ranked quarterbacks, you gonna get some cash inside that.”
Now locked and loaded with Alabama, Russell is worked up about doubtlessly being the group’s subsequent quarterback ought to Jalen Milroe enter the NFL Draft, however is aware of it’ll be a troublesome journey and that he’ll have to compete to earn his place on the subsequent degree.
Nonetheless, regardless of being dedicated to the Crimson Tide for a while, it was nonetheless a troublesome course of for the five-star quarterback as colleges have been relentless of their pursuit of him until the very finish.