$1.3M QB Melts Hearts With Grand NIL Gesture to His Mom After Flashing Icy Jewelry

If you don’t already love Alabama’s top recruit of the 2025 cycle, this might just do it for you. The player is not just competing for the QB1 job, but the Duncanville, Texas, product is taking the NIL game to a whole different level and still staying humble while at it. Before even taking a snap under his name in Tuscaloosa, the former 5-star plus recruit is already winning hearts. And it’s not just because of the $1.3 million valuation next to his name, but rather for a gesture much greater than any number.

The Duncanville, Texas product, Keelon Russell, isn’t just the crown jewel of Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class, the No. 2 overall player in his cycle. His NIL valuation also ranks No. 37 overall in college football, second among freshmen behind only No. 1 overall player Bryce Underwood. But he’s also a thoughtful and dutiful son, showing maturity and gratitude. On May 20, On3NIL reported — “Alabama QB Keelon Russell gifted his mom a new Mercedes Benz with NIL dollars ❤️.” In the post, his mom, April Moore, was captured proudly leaning on her brand new white Mercedes while her son stood smiling on the other side. 

April Moore shared the photo on social media with a heartwarming caption — “To God be the glory, thank you son for always making sure your momma is taken care of… ❤️❤️❤️❤️.” You could almost feel the Bama fans melting at this beautiful gesture. Keelon Russell’s own post kept it short and sweet, saying he’s “blessed to make her happy.” That’s a young man doing right by the woman who helped him get to this point. It’s respect well earned. And he’s also taking care of himself. 

Just a couple of days back, Keelon Russell posted a cool video on his IG story flexing a piece of extravagance, which is a custom Icy Skeleton Cartier watch with thorns. This piece of jewelry is a customized job by David Caston, one of the elite jewelers. And for someone who understands the NIL game, the 18-year-old is already much ahead of his peers and fellow college football players. While he knows how to flex, he’s also staying locked in. 

Keelon Russell’s perception of NIL 

Keelon Russell said it himself. NIL is a blessing, but football comes first. Even before arriving at Tuscaloosa, he had already signed with Panini America and joined Team IFA, putting himself in a position to win not just now, but for the long haul.

Sitting at No. 78 in the On3 NIL 100, he’s already a blueprint for how to do NIL right. In an interview with On3 in February, Keelon Russell laid it out plainly. “The best advice was to understand what’s coming towards you,” he said. “Understand that your profile is your profile. Understand that your name is your name. Building that is the most successful thing that you can do, especially with how the NIL space is getting bigger.” 

Keelon Russell also acknowledged how NIL can drift players away from the main thing, that is, football. And he urges players to focus on the key things. “NIL is a great thing, but focus on your key things and NIL’s gonna come,” the freshman phenom said. “All the stuff’s gonna come. Focus on football, and the NIL space is gonna come. Your profile is your profile. You do good, your profile is gonna be on the rise.” That’s a mindset even former Alabama GOAT coach Nick Saban himself would’ve co-signed. 

So yes, while Keelon Russell continues to compete with the likes of Ty Simpson and Austin Mack, he’s already a winner off the field.