Alabama QB Commit Keelon Russell Among Finalists for Gatorade National Football POY

Five-star quarterback Keelon Russell is one of three finalists for Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.

The Alabama signee is vying for the honor with left tackle Jackson Cantwell and running back Alvin Henderson.

Russell is ranked No. 2 nationally in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 class. Henderson, a 4-star recruit, is 104th and signed with Auburn. Cantwell, the No. 1 player in 2026, has yet to make his commitment.

Russell has thrown for 3,652 yards and 52 touchdowns as a senior at Duncanville High School in Texas. He and fellow 5-star standout Dakorien Moore, an Oregon signee, have formed a dynamic aerial combo.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports compared the signal-caller to 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

"Elite playmaker for the quarterback position with no shortage of valuable game reps that knows how to feather the fine line between risk and reward," Ivins wrote in his scouting report. "... Can attack all three levels of the field with precision and get the ball out fast as he alters his release point and is quick to improvise."

Henderson, meanwhile, has gone for an eye-popping 3,456 yards and 61 touchdowns on the ground. It's the second straight year he has eclipsed 3,000 rushing yards.

"A sudden runner that demonstrates the ability to play in both a power or zone scheme, the Alabama native exhibits excellent short area burst and separation quickness at the second level to create space between defenders," 247Sports' Cooper Petagna wrote of Henderson. "Plays with good play strength and physicality, plus shows the ability to consistently play through contact."

Cantwell has excelled both on the gridiron and in track and field. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri for 2023-24 in boys track and field. He earned the award after winning the shot put at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and placing fifth in the discus.

Cantwell has scholarship offers from a number of elite college football powers with Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and USC among the schools chasing him.