Gatorade POY and Alabama QB Keelon Russell shares 2-word reaction for QB coach who trained Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward

Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has reacted to a post about QB coach Darrell Colbert Jr.. Colbert, who notably coached Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, was praised in an Instagram post by Andscape. Russell shared the post on his story and added a two-word caption. He wrote:

“Like dat.”

Keelon Russell's Instagram story

Andscape hailed Colbert as a coach “shaping the future of Black quarterbacks." The caption of the post reads,

“Darrell Colbert Jr. is shaping the future of Black quarterbacks, with a track record of excellence coaching stars like Cameron Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Widely recognized as one of the best in the game, Colbert is more than just a coach - he’s a game-changer.”

Colbert, a former quarterback for the SMU Mustangs and Lamar Cardinals, is one of the nation’s fastest-rising private quarterbacks coaches. After ending his college playing career, he trained with the Houston Texans quarterbacks coach, Jerrod Johnson. Johnson was also a private quarterbacks coach before he got the opportunity to coach the Texans.

Johnson’s move up gave Colbert the opportunity to inherit some of his client base, thereby starting his coaching career. From that period of humble beginnings, he has risen to become one of the most in-demand private quarterback coaches nationally. His clientele includes future NFL quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders and Division I quarterbacks like Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones.

Keelon Russell’s post-high school career so far

Following a stellar high school career culminating in the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year Award, Keelon Russell is settling down in Alabama. Russell signed with the Crimson Tide after going back on his initial pledge to the SMU Mustangs. With spring practice underway, the former five-star prospect now has to contend with two other quarterbacks for the starting spot next season.

Austin Mack and Ty Simpson are the other quarterbacks in the picture. However, Russell has been making a great impression on head coach Kalen DeBoer. DeBoer offered a high estimation of the quarterback’s performance at practice. He said:

“He’s up there. He certainly is. He’s got a long way to go because I think that’s the way he looks at it. He’s excited about what this growth’s going to be even during this spring. But his ceiling and what he accomplished through what you can see on the high school film, he’s a pretty elite quarterback coming in as a high school senior, current freshman for us.”

Keelon Russell was the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He was also the No. 2 overall prospect in the cycle, only behind Michigan enrollee Bryce Underwood.