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Top Alabama Football Recruit Keelon Russell Signs First NIL Partnership

Future Crimson Tide quarterback signs with Panini America for exclusive, multi-year agreement

Michael Ehrlich

Nov 9, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Alabama Crimson Tide helmet during the game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Alabama Crimson Tide helmet during the game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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Future Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has kicked off 2025 in a major way.

Not only has the reigning Gatorade National High School Player of the Year already enrolled in school to get a head start on potentially replacing Jalen Milroe as the Crimson Tide's next signal caller, but the former Duncanville (TX) High School star has signed his first NIL deal.

Like Milroe previously, Russell has partnered with Panini America to be featured in the sports and entertainment collectibles company's line of collegiate trading card products. The future Alabama QB1's first NIL deal is an exclusive, multi-year autographed trading card agreement with Panini.

As a former high school athlete in Texas, Russell was unable to engage in NIL partnerships, per state law.

“Being able to partner with a leader in the sports collectibles space like Panini is exciting," Russell said. "Seeing the quality of the products that Panini produces and all the things they have done for other NIL athletes – I knew they were the right fit for me. I can’t wait to start working with them and seeing my first trading cards.”

Russell joins a stacked roster of current and future college football stars who have exclusive partnerships with Panini, such as Texas quarterback duo Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch, Ohio State quarterback duo Julian Sayin and signee Tavien St. Clair and Florida wide receiver commit Vernell Brown III.

“With Keelon being from right here in the Dallas area, we’ve had the opportunity to follow his high school career closely. Keelon is a dynamic player on-the-field and off-the-field,” said Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations at Panini America. “We look forward to supporting Keelon as he moves on to Alabama and bringing Keelon’s trading cards to his fans through our products.”

Russell threw for more than 4,100 yards and 55 passing touchdowns while leading Duncanville to a 13-1 record and a berth in the Texas 6A Division I semifinal. As a junior, he and Duncanville went undefeated and won the state championship.

Alabama looks to bounce back from a 9-4 year - and ReliaQuest Bowl defeat to Michigan - when they kick off the 2025 season at Florida State on Aug. 30.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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