A visit with Coach Brian Russell on his 4-Star QB Son Keelon Russell and the Rebels | ‘Ole Miss has that SWAG and energy now’
OXFORD, Miss. — Behind every great recruit, you’ll usually find a strong support system helping them navigate through one of the most challenging times of their lives. That is certainly the case with four-star QB Keelon Russell of Duncanville High School in Texas.
(Click here to read our interview with Keelon on his visit to Ole Miss.)
Keelon has become one of the most talked about signal callers in 2025, but despite all the attention brought to his recruitment, he remains focused and most of all humble. That starts at home with a family who knows plenty about the game of football.
Keelon Russell = DCTF Recruit of the Week 🔥https://t.co/H4LlFQyH19@Pres1dential | @Duncanville_Fb | @GPowersScout @Tepper | #dctf #txhsfb | @SMUFB | #PonyUpDallas pic.twitter.com/zw3yn8UGfS
— Dave Campbell’s Texas Football — TexasFootball.com (@dctf) March 17, 2024
The SMU commit and his family took in Oxford last week, and while we visited with Keelon afterward, we thought it would be interesting to also get some insight from his father, Coach Brian Russell, on the visit to the ‘Sip and more.
It’s a unique situation for Coach Russell, to say the least. He coaches at DeSoto High School, one of Duncanville’s heated rivals, and itself another powerhouse program in the state of Texas.
Both Duncanville in 6A Division 1 and DeSoto in 6A Division 2 are coming off back-to-back Texas state championships. And for one week a year, the house is divided and the Russell men go head to head.
The Back Story
“I have been coaching football and basketball for 21 years now,” Coach Russell tells us. “Basketball is my main sport and I am the Associate Head Coach at DeSoto High School. I grew up in Hobbs, New Mexico where I played basketball.”
We asked the elder Russell about DeSoto facing off against Duncanville, a game this past season that was won by DeSoto.
“It has been very strange facing him on a Friday night, because I am a coach at rival DeSoto,” Coach Russell explained. The week leading to the game is really weird because it is a house divided. This journey has been wonderful seeing his development and passion to be the best.”
Visiting Ole Miss
We wanted to know what Coach Russell thought about the family’s recent visit to Oxford and what stood out to him.
“The atmosphere at Ole Miss in the community and coaching staff is electric. It is similar to the movement about 8-10 years ago when Oregon released all the jersey combinations and people were so excited about Oregon. I feel Ole Miss has that SWAG and energy now. The dominant performance in the portal and top 5 ranking has everyone fired up about next year.”
Coach Russell on the Rebels
We wanted to know from a coach’s perspective what has stood about the way Ole Miss continues to recruit Keelon.
“I really admire (offensive coordinator) Coach (Charlie) Weiss and his ability to see Keelon’s talent well before the rest of the nation did. They were sold on us and didn’t let the rankings of higher-ranked kids sway them. We came down, and they saw him throw in person and they walked away saying he is better than a lot of the kids ranked higher than him. The staff calls and texts him weekly, just keeping that relationship about football and life available.”
Coach Russell
We asked Coach Russell’s thought on the trajectory of the Rebels who are projected to make the 12-team College Football Playoffs this coming season and could be ranked Top 5 in the preseason.
“What stands out the most about the program is the win-now mentality. The staff has made a competitive push at strengthening the defensive line and they did that. The offense is explosive, and they have reloaded with skill guys — but also made sure to strengthen the trenches. The program is really taking off.”
Coach Russell on Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss team
It is clear in talking with both Keelon and Coach Russell that Ole Miss has made a strong impact, giving the talented athlete plenty to think about. Only time will tell where Russell commits, but he is fortunate to have his family and his dad’s experience in the game to help him with the process.
Thank you to Coach Russell for giving us not only his fatherly insight, but also his coaching insight into their recent visit to Oxford. We were watching Keelon well before the much-deserved media attention, and you can bet we will continue to bring you all the latest from one of 2025’s hottest recruitments. Hotty Toddy!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
