Keelon Russell has been drawing attention even before arriving in Tuscaloosa. The former five-star quarterback is currently in the thick of a competition for the starting job, going up against Ty Simpson and Austin Mack.Simpson is the most experienced of the trio and has been the leading candidate for the role since the spring.However, Bama247’s Alex Scarborough isn’t counting Russell out just yet.“Yes, Ty is 95% the guy right now, but I’m not ruling out Keelon Russell," Scarborough said on Wednesday. "I’m probably not ruling him out until we get a few games into the season.”Alabama’s coaching staff has also avoided definitively naming Simpson the starter.In July, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was cautious in his comments about the Crimson Tide's potential QB1."We’ve got a pretty detailed plan on how we’ll figure those things out and information that we share with the guys every day, and when it’s the right time, we’ll be ready to pull the trigger," Grubb said following Alabama's second day of preseason camp via AL.com.Russell was the No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class and the No. 1 player in Texas, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.Alabama QB coach Nick Sheridan shares the special qualities of Keelon RussellAlabama quarterback coach Nick Sheridan primarily recruited Keelon Russell at Tuscaloosa. Russell is regarded as Alabama’s most promising quarterback signee since Bryce Young joined the program in 2020.Just as Young quickly rose to prominence and earned the starting role by his second year, Russell is also turning heads with his early development.“I think one of the special qualities he has for a young player is his ability to move onto the next play," Sheridan said on Monday via AL.com. "He doesn’t get discouraged, if or when mistakes happen. He’s just got an upbeat demeanor in response to good and bad."Sheridan also praised Russell’s mindset and maturity:"Just his confidence in himself, he’s got a great balance of confidence and humility that’s pretty rare and pretty special that way. For a young player, that’s been great to see.”Russell and his Alabama squad are scheduled to host their first scrimmage this Saturday, followed by another the next weekend.