Nation's No. 1 QB Recruit Cancels Florida Gators Official Visit

Duncanville (Tx.) consensus four-star quarterback Keelon Russell, who is considered the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country by ESPN, has canceled his official visit to the Florida Gators, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Russell (6-3, 175 pounds) had scheduled a visit to UF from June 7-9 but has since canceled it plus an official visit to Oregon after he flipped his commitment to Alabama from SMU on Tuesday.

Russell’s commitment came fresh off an official visit in Tuscaloosa.

“They did a terrific job with (the trip)," Russell said, via Bama247. "The players and the recruits were just terrific. The coaches were terrific. Just building relationships with everybody was just amazing."

BREAKING: Four-Star QB Keelon Russell has Flipped his Commitment from SMU to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’4 185 QB from Duncanville, TX had been Committed to the Mustangs since September

“Heisman Trophy = Roll Tide🐘🐘”https://t.co/yKiqmAnP3x pic.twitter.com/Gi6xvyCUMy
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 4, 2024

Russell was expected to be a part of the second-straight major recruiting weekend hosted by the Gators. Last week, Florida hosted 14 total 2025 recruits, nine of whom are considered four-stars.

This upcoming weekend, however, sees more talent visit campus. The Gators will host 13 more recruits despite Russell’s cancellation. Three of those recruits are five-stars.

Raines (Jacksonville) offensive lineman FSU commit Solomon Thomas, Choctaw County (Ackerman, Ms.) wide receiver Caleb Cunningham and Shaker Heights (Oh.) safety Trey McNutt headline this weekend’s group of visitors.

Cunningham and McNutt, despite not being committed, are considered leans to Mississippi State (Cunningham) and Ohio State (McNutt) in their respective recruitments.

Not all hope is lost, though, for Florida in quarterback recruiting. The Gators recently welcomed 2026 four-star quarterback Will Griffin as the first commit of that class. Additionally, Florida is battling neck-and-neck with Memphis for 2025 four-star quarterback Antwaan Hill, who visited the Gators last weekend.