Russell, a five-star quarterback from Duncanville, Texas, is known for his strong arm, quick decision-making, and ability to extend plays. Those traits had many fans expecting him to compete for early snaps in the Crimson Tide offense, with some even predicting he’d be named the starter for the 2025 season. But when that didn’t happen, questions soon followed. Not only did Russell fall short of winning the QB1 job, he was listed as third on the depth chart—leaving fans wondering what went wrong.

Earlier this week, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about Russell's status during the weekly Hey Coach & The Kalen DeBoer Show. DeBoer shared why Russell is currently number three on the depth chart behind Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson and second string quarterback Austin Mack.

"You got a little taste of what we get to see in practice. Again, there are steps. It’s like, ‘Why aren’t you playing [Keelon Russell] more?’ But there are steps that he has taken. He’s continued to go up, but there are just two guys that are just so much further ahead in the verbiage of the offense when it comes to the spring. It’s complicated. We love making it as simple as we can, but in the end, our system, there are a lot of working parts to it. There's a lot of things when it comes to communication, execution, the reads -- there's simple ones, but when we really get to doing what we want to do, to maximize what we think we're capable of, it's got some pieces to it that take time. He got on the field and just -- I think what was really cool was how excited the team was for him."

There's no denying Russell's talent or progress. It's obvious he is an absolute star in the making. But sometimes, that takes time. And sometimes, a young quarterback like Russell can gain confidence simply by being a backup his first season. 

Not only that, but Russell has had a few rough months. Keelon's twin sister Kierston Russell, passed away in June of this year. DeBoer noted how that too, has impacted Russell:

"He's obviously been through a lot. Just everyone is really happy for him. He's just been so steady, so steady through it all."

Not only has Russell been steady, he has been an encouraging teammate, even when he didn't get the starting job.

April Moore, Keelon Russell's mother had this to say about her son's reaction when he was not named this season's starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide;

"He's where he needs to be. He was very happy with Ty . There's no bigger respect. Keelon loves Ty. He loves Austin , too. The quarterback room, we have a badass room. I am so proud of Ty and how he took it on.

But Moore also made sure to state that Russell one day WILL be the QB1 for Alabama: 

"He's going to get there. He's going to be QB1 at some point in time. I don't know when. That's not my concern, it's not. All of the quarterbacks are great."

For now, Russell may be the third man on the depth chart, but with his talent, resilience, and support system, it seems only a matter of time before his moment in Tuscaloosa arrives.