"Taking advice from a dude who won’t even be in the lead next year": Fans react to Trevon Diggs mentoring Gatorade POY Keelon Russell

Keelon Russell, a five-star athlete and the No. 2 player in the nation, earned the title of Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. He is the highest-ranked quarterback to commit to Alabama since Bryce Young.

Adding to the buzz, Dallas Cowboys cornerback and Alabama alum Trevon Diggs mentored Russell under his wing. Diggs appeared on "Overtimeszn" on Tuesday and shared his advice for the young quarterback.

"The advice that I gave him was control the things that he could control. Just keeping the main thing the main thing," he said. "Keeping your head down as it's working and you know it's going to be tough days. It's going to be tough times. There's no there's nothing that you can't handle and you know he got a great mindset. He knows where he wants to go. I can't wait to see him perform at Alabama."

However, not all fans on Instagram were convinced of Diggs’ credibility as a mentor.

“Taking advice from a dude who won’t even be in the league next year is wild,” one fan wrote.

“Don’t take his advice. As a Cowboys fan, I wouldn’t,” another wrote.

Image via Ig@overtimesznAppearing on "Overtimeszn"

"Keelon Russell vs Bryce Underwood boutta be ivivalry," a fan wrote

Image via Ig@overtimeszn

"Best advice," another wrote.

"My going up fr," another wrote.

Image via Ig@overtimeszn

Standing tall at 6-foot-4 and weighing 181 pounds, Russell showcased his dominance in high school. In 2023, he completed 74% of his passes for 3,267 yards, tallying 35 touchdowns against just three interceptions while leading Duncanville High School to a state championship.

Russell's confidence is equally striking. In an interview with SeeHendo, he expressed excitement about connecting with star wide receiver Ryan Williams.

"When I hit up Ryan Williams on the phone and be like, bro, honestly, I don't care about none of the, you know, I don't care about what nobody say," he said. "I don't care about the internet stuff. don't care about all of that stuff, but when I come down to Bema, we're gonna click. I don't care. I don't care. And that's the same with all the other receivers. Like, we're gonna click."

Keelon Russell names his quarterback Mount Rushmore and reflects on national honors

Keelon Russell was crowned Gatorade National Player of the Year and Maxwell National High School Player of the Year. He named his top quarterbacks in an interview with SeeHendo.

When asked about his Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks, Russell said:

"I'm gonna have to go with Cam Newton as one. Next, I'm gonna have to go with Peyton Manning. That's one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time. Next, I'm going to have to say Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady."

Russell completed 69.4% of his passes, totaling 4,177 yards, 55 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Reflecting on his success, he said:

"Man, it's a blessing. Like, just even just talking to my pops about this. Like, after coming from the Elite 11 win, I talked to my pops, he was like, you missing one thing. And one thing only is you haven't showed the world who you are in the pads. And that's where the real dogs come from."

The recognition from Gatorade and the Maxwell Award further highlights Russell's immense talent and hard work. Russell elevated his game in 2024, throwing for 4,177 yards and 55 touchdowns with five interceptions, guiding his team to a 13-1 record before falling in the Texas state semifinals.