"I kid you not, I’m excited": Alabama's Keelon Russell shares excitement on working with the latest Crimson Tide staff joining from the NFL

With Alabama football entering a new chapter, early enrollee quarterback Keelon Russell is eager to embrace the changes, particularly the arrival of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

A month into his time with the Crimson Tide, Russell was met with major news—Grubb was coming to Tuscaloosa after a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks. Upon learning of Grubb’s hiring, Russell wasted no time diving into research.

On Monday, Russell told On3,

“As a quarterback, you’ve got to go watch his offensive coordinator skills and everything,” Russell said. “I did my researches and everything, making sure that this guy is the man that I’ve been hearing. Man, when I tell you what he did with Michael Penix, it’s legendary. I’m excited. I kid you not, I’m excited. The offense finna turn up this year. We’re finna be great.”

Russell was particularly impressed by Grubb’s work with Michael Penix Jr. at Washington. Under Grubb and DeBoer, Penix developed into a top-tier quarterback, leading the Huskies to the College Football Playoff national championship game before being selected No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

“The development from Michael Penix was crazy. Dude grew. I can tell you that. He grew. With Grubb, I can tell you, he’s gonna throw the ball, he’s gonna run the ball, he’s gonna attack every weakness in their defense," Russell said.

"He’s gonna do everything to hurt your feelings. We want to score 70, he’s gonna put up 70. He’s not scared to throw the ball, he’s not scared to run the ball, he’s not scared to do read options with the quarterbacks or anything."

A standout at Duncanville High School in Texas, where he racked up over 4,177 passing yards and 55 touchdowns as a senior, Keelon Russell arrives at Alabama with immense potential.

Alabama’s Keelon Russell becomes the face of Panini in blockbuster NIL deal

Keelon Russell has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.7 million. Moreover, he signed with Team IFA for representation and quickly secured his first major deal—a multi-year partnership with Panini America.

Panini’s commitment to Russell was evident from the start.

“They trusted me,” Russell told On3 on Monday. “They were like, ‘Hey, man, we love you. … And we want you to almost be the face of our brand.’ For them to come at me like that, for them to jump at me like that, I say the loyalty, the trust. The stuff they just gave me, like the loving and everything, was just amazing.”

For Russell, the partnership holds personal significance.

“When I was younger, I used to have cards,” he said. “If you were to hit up my little brother right now, he loves cards. He loves, like, NFL projections and all of that stuff. He would tell you the whole roster. So when I saw myself on a card, it just brought me flashbacks. It was like, 'Whoa. This is something I used to do when I was a little kid.'"

One of three five-star recruits in Alabama’s 2025 class, Keelon Russell is in the mix with key teammates, including quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Austin Mack, wide receivers Germie Bernard and Rico Scott, and Miami transfer Isaiah Horton.