Cowboys' Trevon Diggs, QB Keelon Russell Talk Alabama CFP Snub, More in B/R Interview

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Photo Credit: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports

Alabama fans astir apt aren't complete getting near retired of this year's College Football Playoff.

But they mightiness not person to interest astir being near retired successful the early pinch backmost imaginable Keelon Russell arriving.

Russell is simply a 5-star imaginable and the No. 2 wide backmost successful the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. His talent will make him an instant instrumentality favourite successful Tuscaloosa, but truthful will his thoughts connected SMU getting the last at-large spot complete the Crimson Tide successful this year's CFP field.

"I'm very biased astir it," Russell told Bleacher Report. "I conjecture you tin opportunity group want to spot what SMU is going to do, but I consciousness for illustration erstwhile you person the squad we person you person to fto them shine. … But we're coming backmost adjacent twelvemonth stronger because of it. We're coming backmost beardown for sure."

Alabama shined astatine times this season, particularly erstwhile it defeated Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri and LSU. However, it besides mislaid 3 games compared to SMU's two, pinch 2 of those defeats coming to 6-6 Oklahoma and 6-6 Vanderbilt.

The 24-3 nonaccomplishment to the Sooners was surely what stood successful the way, arsenic some of the Mustangs' losses came by 3 points. Clemson stunned SMU pinch a Nolan Hauser 56-yard section extremity arsenic clip expired to triumph the ACC championship, but the committee yet chose to support the convention title crippled losers successful the field.

Russell isn't the only 1 who wanted to spot the Crimson Tide make the CFP instead.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs played astatine Alabama earlier he was a prima successful the NFL and told Bleacher Report his alma mater "got robbed."

But he knows amended than astir really agleam the early is, arsenic he amazed Russell pinch the 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award. Diggs made a astonishment quality aft the backmost imaginable vanished up believe Tuesday and presented him pinch the grant that goes to the nation's champion precocious schoolhouse athletes who show occurrence connected the field, successful the schoolroom and successful their communities.

"For me, it was a awesome acquisition seeing really his teammates rally astir him and person his back," Diggs said. "It was encouraging to spot what type of leader he is for his shot team. It shows a batch astir really he is connected and disconnected the field. That's going to return him a agelong way, he useful difficult for it. This is simply a typical award, and successful Texas astatine that. A shot state."

As for Russell, he said, "I was surprised. Coach called maine up, I was conscionable like, 'Coach, what are we doing?' Seeing him stepping up and seeing the trophy, I was blown away. It was an astonishing moment. I'm blessed. To person my sanction printed connected this trophy intends everything to me."

He is acold from the only notable jock to person his sanction printed connected the trophy.

Former Gatorade Player of the Year winners see Peyton Manning, Jayson Tatum, Paige Bueckers, Emmitt Smith, Mallory Swanson and more. The grant has a 40-year history of recognizing the champion younker athletes successful the country, and Russell is the latest example.

"Peyton Manning is 1 of my favourite players of all-time," he said. "To beryllium correct location alongside him is crazy. I tin already spot my early from here. Just to beryllium named arsenic a backmost and person that nickname going into assemblage is amazing. This is not the first trophy I'm going to get. There are galore much to come."

That adjacent trophy whitethorn very good travel during his clip pinch the Crimson Tide.

Alabama is 1 of the powerhouses of the athletics for a reason, and it would not beryllium wise to expect thing different than an awesome bounceback effort moving forward. Head coach Kalen DeBoer took the adjacent measurement toward conscionable that pinch the No. 2 wide recruiting people for 2025, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

That group is headlined by 3 5-star players successful Russell, violative lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee, and the backmost is expected to beryllium the leader.

He has the mobility to make plays pinch his legs and flight pressure, but it is limb that stands retired the most. He tin fresh throws done tight windows and deed receivers complete the apical pinch awesome touch connected heavy passes.

And that is simply a scary point for SEC defenses since he will beryllium throwing to a group that includes arguably the champion wide receiver successful the state successful Ryan Williams.

"I'm very excited to get down location and propulsion to each those guys," Russell said while showing notable excitement astir the imaginable of teaming up pinch Williams. "Being distant from my parents and playing shot and being successful a full different situation is going to beryllium thing caller and thing fun.

"Growing up, I've ever been a immense assemblage fan. Me and my dada would beryllium location and watch Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, each those teams. I said, 'Dad, I'm going to beryllium location 1 day.' So having this opportunity to spell retired location and shot astatine the adjacent level is an astonishing feeling."

If he does "got retired location and ball," location will beryllium nary stopping him and Williams aft the receiver dazzled the assemblage shot world arsenic a freshman pinch a number of spectacular catches that included the game-winning touchdown complete Georgia erstwhile he came down pinch a contested drawback and spun past aggregate Bulldogs defenders.

It is simply a operation that mightiness moreover person defenders of Diggs' caliber reasoning twice, though he joked pinch Russell that he would intercept the backmost if they faced each other.

"I've decidedly been talking to him and giving him advice," Diggs said of Russell. "I spot what benignant of kid he is, he's going to do really good astatine Alabama. He fits the culture, he has the drive, he has the hunger. He wants to beryllium awesome and he knows wherever he wants to go. So erstwhile you person each of that, there's thing that tin extremity you."

Diggs is an perfect subordinate to activity retired for advice, arsenic he played astatine Alabama from 2016 to 2019 and won a nationalist title earlier he was a second-round prime successful the 2020 NFL draft.

And the occurrence has continued successful the NFL, arsenic he was a back-to-back Pro Bowler successful 2021 and 2022. He was besides a First-Team All-Pro action successful 2021 erstwhile he led the convention pinch 11 interceptions, 2 of which he returned for touchdowns.

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While Diggs was constricted to 2 games successful 2023 because of a torn ACL, he is backmost connected the section again this play pinch 11 passes defended and 2 picks successful 11 games.

"That was 1 of the biggest things. When you look astatine Alabama, it screams NFL," Russell said of seeing players for illustration Diggs find occurrence astatine the highest level erstwhile he was deciding connected his early school. "When I picked Alabama, that was decidedly 1 of the reasons I went there."

He wasn't the only one.

"Same, I tin opportunity that too," Diggs added. "I was like, 'Alabama is producing each these NFL players. I deliberation my chances of going to the NFL will beryllium higher if I spell here.'"

If Russell lives up to his potential, he will beryllium the adjacent Crimson Tide subordinate to prima astatine the sport's highest level.

And this year's CFP snub will beryllium agelong forgotten.