Cowboys' Trevon Diggs, QB Keelon Russell Talk Alabama CFP Snub, More in B/R Interview

Alabama fans probably aren't over getting left out of this year's College Football Playoff.

But they might not have to worry about being left out in the future with quarterback prospect Keelon Russell arriving.

Russell is a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 overall quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. His talent will make him an instant fan favorite in Tuscaloosa, but so will his thoughts on SMU getting the final at-large spot over the Crimson Tide in this year's CFP field.

"I'm very biased about it," Russell told Bleacher Report. "I guess you can say people want to see what SMU is going to do, but I feel like when you have the team we have you have to let them shine. … But we're coming back next year stronger because of it. We're coming back strong for sure."

Alabama shined at times this season, especially when it defeated Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri and LSU. However, it also lost three games compared to SMU's two, with two of those defeats coming to 6-6 Oklahoma and 6-6 Vanderbilt.

The 24-3 loss to the Sooners was surely what stood in the way, as both of the Mustangs' losses came by three points. Clemson stunned SMU with a Nolan Hauser 56-yard field goal as time expired to win the ACC championship, but the committee ultimately chose to keep the conference title game losers in the field.

Russell isn't the only one who wanted to see the Crimson Tide make the CFP instead.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs played at Alabama before he was a star in the NFL and told Bleacher Report his alma mater "got robbed."

But he knows better than most how bright the future is, as he surprised Russell with the 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award. Diggs made a surprise appearance after the quarterback prospect finished up practice Tuesday and presented him with the award that goes to the nation's best high school athletes who demonstrate success on the field, in the classroom and in their communities.

"For me, it was a great experience seeing how his teammates rally around him and have his back," Diggs said. "It was encouraging to see what type of leader he is for his football team. It shows a lot about how he is on and off the field. That's going to take him a long way, he works hard for it. This is a special award, and in Texas at that. A football state."

As for Russell, he said, "I was surprised. Coach called me up, I was just like, 'Coach, what are we doing?' Seeing him walking up and seeing the trophy, I was blown away. It was an amazing moment. I'm blessed. To have my name printed on this trophy means everything to me."

Gatorade

He is far from the only notable athlete to have his name printed on the trophy.

Former Gatorade Player of the Year winners include Peyton Manning, Jayson Tatum, Paige Bueckers, Emmitt Smith, Mallory Swanson and more. The award has a 40-year history of recognizing the best youth athletes in the country, and Russell is the latest example.

"Peyton Manning is one of my favorite players of all-time," he said. "To be right there alongside him is crazy. I can already see my future from here. Just to be named as a quarterback and have that recognition going into college is amazing. This is not the first trophy I'm going to get. There are many more to come."

That next trophy may very well come during his time with the Crimson Tide.

Alabama is one of the powerhouses of the sport for a reason, and it would not be wise to expect anything other than an impressive bounceback effort moving forward. Head coach Kalen DeBoer took the next step toward just that with the No. 2 overall recruiting class for 2025, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

That group is headlined by three 5-star players in Russell, offensive lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee, and the quarterback is expected to be the leader.

He has the mobility to make plays with his legs and escape pressure, but it is arm that stands out the most. He can fit throws through tight windows and hit receivers over the top with impressive touch on deep passes.

And that is a scary thing for SEC defenses since he will be throwing to a group that includes arguably the best wide receiver in the country in Ryan Williams.

"I'm very excited to get down there and throw to all those guys," Russell said while showing notable excitement about the prospect of teaming up with Williams. "Being away from my parents and playing football and being in a whole different environment is going to be something new and something fun.

"Growing up, I've always been a huge college fan. Me and my dad would sit there and watch Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, all those teams. I said, 'Dad, I'm going to be there one day.' So having this opportunity to go out there and ball at the next level is an amazing feeling."

If he does "got out there and ball," there will be no stopping him and Williams after the receiver dazzled the college football world as a freshman with a number of spectacular catches that included the game-winning touchdown over Georgia when he came down with a contested grab and spun past multiple Bulldogs defenders.

It is a combination that might even have defenders of Diggs' caliber thinking twice, although he joked with Russell that he would intercept the quarterback if they faced each other.

"I've definitely been talking to him and giving him advice," Diggs said of Russell. "I see what kind of kid he is, he's going to do really well at Alabama. He fits the culture, he has the drive, he has the hunger. He wants to be great and he knows where he wants to go. So when you have all of that, there's nothing that can stop you."

Diggs is an ideal player to seek out for advice, as he played at Alabama from 2016 to 2019 and won a national championship before he was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

And the success has continued in the NFL, as he was a back-to-back Pro Bowler in 2021 and 2022. He was also a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2021 when he led the league with 11 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

While Diggs was limited to two games in 2023 because of a torn ACL, he is back on the field again this season with 11 passes defended and two picks in 11 games.

"That was one of the biggest things. When you look at Alabama, it screams NFL," Russell said of seeing players like Diggs find success at the highest level when he was deciding on his future school. "When I picked Alabama, that was definitely one of the reasons I went there."

He wasn't the only one.

"Same, I can say that too," Diggs added. "I was like, 'Alabama is producing all these NFL players. I think my chances of going to the NFL will be higher if I go here.'"

If Russell lives up to his potential, he will be the next Crimson Tide player to star at the sport's highest level.

And this year's CFP snub will be long forgotten.