Gerald V Dixon drops bold prediction about Alabama QB Keelon Russell

There's a lot of hype around Keelon Russell ahead of his freshman season in college football. The five-star quarterback is set to begin his college career at Alabama this fall, Tuscaloosa fans are eager to see what he has to offer in the program.

In his appearance on the “Ultimate College Football Show,” Gerald V Dixon reviewed Russell. The analyst reports that there's confidence in Tuscaloosa that he's the next big thing for the Crimson Tide.

“What I'm hearing out of Tuscaloosa, he might be the next one,” Dixon said.

Russell is the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2025 according to 247Sports, only behind Michigan signee Bryce Underwood. With Jalen Milroe heading to the NFL, he will compete with Ty Simpson for the team's starting quarterback job ahead of the upcoming season.

Keelon Russell discloses the best advice he's received on NIL

Given Keelon Russell’s talent, attracting huge NIL opportunities is expected in the current college football landscape. The quarterback has signed a number of them right from high school, and they continue to grow as his college career approaches.

In an exclusive conversation with On3 from the Panini Prizm VIP Lounge in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX. Russell shared the best advice he's received on NIL, which is athletes recognizing the value of their personal brand—something he believes every player should understand.

“The best advice was to understand what’s coming towards you,” Russell said via Zoom. “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 performances of the platforms are getting way more advanced. NIL is something that takes away from the aspects of football. Somebody told me, focus on the key things.”

Keelon Russell believes a player's performance on the field is key to opening more NIL opportunities in the increasingly lucrative college football landscape. He asserts this should be the primary focus of every student-athlete seeking to capitalize on NIL.

“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.”

Yet to play a down for the Crimson Tide, Russell has already inked his first NIL deal as a college football player. In January, through his representation, he agreed a deal with Panini America. He now ranks No. 35 on NIL 100 with a valuation of $1.7 million.