"Focus on football": Keelon Russell discusses the best way to build a strong NIL profile

Keelon Russell is set to begin his college football journey at Alabama next month when spring practice commences. However, the freshman already boasts a massive NIL valuation. According to On3, the five-star recruit NIL deals are valued at $1.7 million.

In an exclusive conversation with On3 from the Panini Prizm VIP lounge in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Russell emphasized the importance of recognizing the value of an athlete’s profile. This is something he believes every player needs to understand.

He said that once players understand this, their primary focus should be on delivering strong performances on the field, as everything else will naturally fall into place.

“The best advice was to understand what’s coming towards you,” Russell 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.

“The performance of the platforms is getting way more advanced. NIL is something that takes away from the aspects of football. Somebody told me: Focus on the key things.

“NIL is a great thing, but focus on your key things, and NIL’s gonna come. 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.”

Keelon Russell signs a NIL deal with Panini America

Keelon Russell inked his first NIL deal as a college player with Panini America in January after securing representation with Team IFA. The partnership immediately stood out to him due to the company's commitment to investing in his future, making it a natural fit from the start.

“They trusted me,” Russell said. “They were like, ‘Hey, man, we love you, man. … And we want you to almost be the face of our brand.’ For them to come at me like that, for them to jump at me like that, I say the loyalty, the trust.

“The stuff they just gave me, like the loving and everything, was just amazing. I just really respect all of them, I love all of them and I just can’t wait for the future and what the future holds for both of us.”

Keelon Russell's On3 NIL Valuation places him at No. 3 in the high school football NIL rankings. He also ranks No. 35 in the On3 NIL 100, a ranking of the top 100 college and high school athletes with the biggest NIL valuation. This is a testament to the quarterback's influence as an athlete.