Alabama signee Keelon Russell, hailed as the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, described himself as a “game changer” in a Jan. 4 interview with Jared Martino. And why not?
He was among the most coveted athletes this past year, with 22 schools offering him a chance to play for them. Over his two seasons with Duncanville High School, the QB averaged 7,444 yards on 90 touchdown passes. This raises a question, who does he look up to?
Keelon Russell Makes Eye-Catching Remark About Cam Newton
During a Q-and-A with Phil Murphy on “SportsCenter” on Jan. 3, Russell was asked, if he were to paint a picture of a perfect QB, who would he choose to start the lineup? The playmaker put former MVP Cam Newton on the top of his list:
“Imma say, Cam Newton, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Lamar Jackson, last one Imma say, Tom Brady.”
When asked why he chose Newton as his top pick, Russell said:
“I feel like he’s the only quarterback that’s [brought the] swag to the quarterback position. I feel like you gotta respect bringing the swag to the quarterback position.”
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Newton replied in his signature format to Russell’s remark under a snippet posted by SportsCenter:
“-1ØVĖ🤟🏾”
Newton, a former first overall NFL Draft pick, played 11 seasons in the NFL, 10 of which were with the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2021. He spent the 2020 season with the New England Patriots, where his potential fell short. The Patriots released him after a 7-9 season, and Newton returned to the Panthers, where he unofficially retired after playing his last game in 2021.
During his time in the league, he threw for 32,382 yards and 194 touchdowns while also rushing for 5,628 yards and 75 scores. He won the NFL MVP award in 2015 when he led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50, averaging 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns, with 636 rushing yards for 10 scores.
Meanwhile, Russell, who plays for Duncanville High School, originally gave his pledge to SMU but changed his decision to Alabama in June of 2024 and signed with the team on Dec. 4.
On Dec. 27, he was taken out of the Under Armour All-America Game after he reportedly sprained his right ankle as he was avoiding a sack by JaReylan McCoy. However, on Jan. 3 he confirmed that the injury wasn’t anything serious.