Keelon Russell , a Class of 2025 Alabama football signee, has added another high school accolade before joining the Crimson Tide .
After being named as the Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year Dec. 6, the quarterback was named the 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, beating out Elba, Alabama, running back and 2025 Auburn commit Alvin Henderson and Nixa, Missouri, offensive lineman and 2026 five-star Jackson Cantwell.
"The Gatorade Player of the Year Program has a 40-year history of recognizing young athletes on their journey to greatness," said Gatorade Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin said in a statement. "Russell's accomplishments have earned him a spot on the trophy alongside so many iconic athletes, and we can't wait to see the legacy he will leave behind."
The Duncanville, Texas, native is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
In his past two seasons at Duncanville High School, Russell has recorded more than 7,000 passing yards and 88 passing touchdowns in 28 games.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound quarterback was once an SMU commit, but flipped to Alabama and signed with the Crimson Tide on Dec. 4.
"There's a swagger about him," Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said of Russell. "There's a confidence about him. He's helped become a major part of bringing and keeping this class together."
Russell is one of three five-star players to sign with Alabama in DeBoer's first recruiting class, along with offensive lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee .
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Keelon Russell named 2024-25 Gatorade National Player of the Year
