It’s not often that a college football player who has never played a single snap of college ball is on a magazine cover. But that’s exactly what happened for former five-star recruit and Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell.
Russell wasn’t featured on the cover of “Sports Illustrated” like previous college athletes have been, but rather on “Men’s Health.” The magazine used the young quarterback to promote a new initiative that recognizes elite high school athletes.
Keelon Russell Leads the Way for ‘Men’s Health’ Magazine’s 25 Best Athletes in the Class of 2025
“Men’s Health” is a fitness magazine that rarely covers athletics, specifically team sports. However, the company just used Russell on its latest cover.
View this post on Instagram
While using a freshman quarterback on the cover “Men’s Health” may not make sense at first glance, it turns out that Russell is the face of the magazine’s “MH 25.” The magazine is highlighting the 25 best athletes in the graduating class of 2025.
“Men’s Health” writer Greg Presto broke down what made Russell and the other 24 athletes separate themselves from the rest of country’s talent.
“In our discussions with Gen Z sports stars, we found that, like every generation that came before them, they work their a**es off: They train 20 to 50 hours a week, often with specialized trainers,” Presto wrote.
“But unlike every other generation, they’re using social media to learn new moves, keep tabs on rivals, and find inspiration, and they’re leaning heavily into video technology, leveraging it to hone technique.”
Russell placed at No. 2 in the magazine’s overall list and he’s a special athlete. The former five-star was rated as 247Sports’ No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle. As a Texas native, Russell started for Duncanville High School for three seasons.
The 6’3″, 192-pound quarterback put up mind-blowing numbers in his senior season, throwing for 4,177 yards, 55 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He was highly recruited by many top programs, holding a total of 23 offers before finally choosing Alabama in June 2024.
Russell now enters his freshman season with the Crimson Tide in a quarterback battle with Ty Simpson and has a real chance to win the starting job before the 2025 season starts.
