SMU football lands Duncanville (Texas) quarterback Keelon Russell

The 4-star junior picked the Mustangs over offers from Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State and more

The SMU Mustangs have found their future quarterback, and they didn't have to look far.

Duncanville (Texas) junior Keelon Russell announced his commitment to SMU on Thursday, giving the Mustangs one of their top-ranked pledges in program history and a massive addition for their 2025 recruiting class.

Russell leads the offense for the top high school football team in Texas and the No. 5 team in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings. 

As a sophomore, Russell helped Duncanville bring home its first state title since 1998. The young quarterback passed for 2,377 yards and 22 touchdowns for last year's undefeated UIL 6A state champions.

Russell is the nation's No. 16 quarterback and No. 224 overall recruit in the class of 2025, per the 247Sports composite rankings. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior chose SMU over offers from Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State and more.

While it's still very early in the process, SMU's 2025 recruiting class was already ranked No. 8 in the country prior to Russell's commitment. 

With the four-star quarterback joining the fold, the Mustangs' class jumped two spots to No. 6 in the country.

(Feature photo by Michael Horbovetz)