Watch: Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs presents 5-star Alabama signee Keelon Russell with coveted National Award

By Aman Sharma

Modified Dec 11, 2024 18:29 GMT

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Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs made a surprise appearance at Duncanville High School in Texas on Tuesday to honor standout quarterback Keelon Russell with the prestigious 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year title, marking a historic moment for both Russell and his school.

In an interview with Bleacher Report on Tuesday, Trevon Diggs praised Russell’s leadership:

"For me, it was a great experience seeing how his teammates rally around him and have his back. 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."

According to 247Sports, Russell, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 175 pounds, ranks as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Only Bryce Underwood, a Michigan signee, holds a higher ranking.

This accolade makes Russell the first player from Duncanville High School and the first Alabama football recruit to receive the coveted award. Expressing his amazement, Russell shared with Bleacher Report:

"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."

Diggs believes Keelon Russell has the talent to excel at Alabama:

"I've definitely been talking to him and giving him advice. 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."

Russell joins an elite group of past recipients, including NFL legends Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith.

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Keelon Russell caps stellar high school career with Gatorade Player of the Year honor

Keelon Russell’s dominance as a two-year starter for Duncanville High School has solidified his place as one of the nation’s premier high school athletes. During his senior season, the quarterback completed an impressive 70% of his passes, amassing 3,874 yards and 53 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

The quarterback also talked about the Crimson Tide's miss from the College Football Playoff and his thoughts on SMU (which On3 ranks second for his recruitment) getting the last playoff spot instead of Alabama:

"I'm very biased about it," Russell shared with 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."

Keelon Russell who started the game for two seasons made a 72% completion of throws for 7141 yards, 88 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.