One of many largest risers within the 2025 recruiting class was five-star quarterback Keelon Russell, who signed with the Alabama Crimson Tide through 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 response to 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 quite a lot of 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 numerous faculties,” Russell shared on Sunday. “I wasn’t actually by no means in regards to the cash particular person. I felt like that was short-term worth as a substitute of long-term worth. If you happen to do good, such as you receives a commission 1,000,000 {dollars} and go stink it up in school, no booster gonna wish to pay that to see you play. Shoot, you would possibly get benched and profession is over. So like, you gotta take into consideration, you understand 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, you understand what I’m saying? Price 5 million, you then get to the professionals, so it’s simply long-term in regards to 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 mentioned. “SMU had some worries, so that they was making an attempt to up it, however I advised 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, actually, yeah, like I mentioned, it’s a long-term factor for me.”
Exterior 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, you understand what I’m saying, to pursue up there,” Russell mentioned of the three faculties. “My identify began to leap round numerous platforms and stuff. So numerous 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 in all probability one of many worst practices as a quarterback. Actually, I used to be off that day and for them to even give me the prospect to be their quarterback and noticed one thing into me.”
Nonetheless, there have been discussions about probably taking visits to these faculties as numbers had been being tossed round.
“It was, it was [a real thought],” Russell acknowledged. “Like, actually, who wouldn’t wish to go to Colorado for actual? I imply, so it was, it was one thing that I used to be excited about after which phrases began getting round, false stuff. So I shut it down, mentioned, ‘Nah, I can’t do this.’
“So LSU, I used to be type of excited about it as properly. Colorado, I used to be excited about it. Texas, I used to be excited about happening there. I really went down there and earlier than I dedicated to Alabama, so I used to be type of excited about numerous it somewhat bit, however needed to keep residence, keep truthful to the world, to my followers and my folks. [The three schools] threw some numbers. I imply, I can’t actually discuss that. I do know it’s, it’s large. Simply know that it’s large.”
On the finish of the day, whereas the cash was legit for Russell, his primary focus was soccer, which led him to the Crimson Tide.
“However like I mentioned, I ain’t actually anxious in regards to 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, you understand what I imply? So, yeah, nevertheless it was some affords 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 probably being the workforce’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 must compete to earn his place on the subsequent stage.
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 faculties had been relentless of their pursuit of him until the very finish.
