From being ranked as a unanimous five-star recruit by all major outlets to being the freshman quarterback at Alabama, Keelon Russell has held many roles. But the one that stands out as the most special is being a brother to Kierston Russell. And just before the twins were about to add another chapter to their book of life, they decided to close their high school chapter on a high note. During their graduation from Duncanville (Texas) High School, both Keelon Russell and Kierston Russell danced together while on their way to receive their diploma, clearly filled with excitement.

And shortly after the graduation, they decided to move to Tuscaloosa. The freshman quarterback must have been gearing up to make Alabama his top priority, and maybe get that QB1 spot. However, the universe put him on a tougher path. He gets hit with a personal loss, the burden of which will be heavier to carry. As per the reports, the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback, Keelon Russell, lost his twin-sister, Kierston Russell, who passed away at the age of 18 in Tuscaloosa on June 4. While the quarterback will need some time to heal from this personal loss, tributes pour in from his fans and loved ones.

Details about Kierston’s death were not immediately available. As Tide 100.9 reported, the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, which investigates all deaths outside of a hospital setting in Tuscaloosa County, declined to comment. The only update about Keelon’s sister’s demise is that they confirmed that the matter was non-criminal. The news was later confirmed by Alabama insider Stephen M. Smith. On June 4, he tweeted, “#Alabama QB Keelon Russell had his twin sister, Kierston, pass away. The two recently danced together on stage as graduates of Duncanville (Texas) High School and she followed Keelon to Tuscaloosa. Much condolences to their family.”

We are yet to receive a message from Keelon. Right now, it must be difficult for the quarterback to put into words what he must be going through. Instead, he is re-sharing the IG stories that the fans and acquaintances are putting up. Keelon confirmed the news by posting a message to his Instagram story with a pair of hands making a heart. The quarterback must be replaying the happy memory over and over again to cope with the loss.

And one such happy memory that their mother, April Moore, holds is of when both her son and daughter won their respective state championships. Russell propelled Duncanville High School to two consecutive state championships in 2022 and 2023. His twin, on the other hand, played girls’ basketball and won the state title in her Junior year. Reflecting on the same, their mother remarked:

“For those of you that don’t know that Keelon does have a twin sister, and she plays basketball… When, uh, the boys won their state championship, the girls basketball team won the state championship, so I had basically, I’m the mother of champions, as they called me this whole year, was a mother of champions. So I had two babies that won state championships in the same year with big rings and everything, so it was pretty awesome. It was a great, great feeling to know that you know I brought these babies into the world, and they have accomplished this at the same level, same time, pretty, pretty ,that’s awesome.”

Moving on, on June 4, the quarterback posted a snap where both of them were decked up in their graduation robe. In the picture, Kierston is seen high-fiving Keelon. This moment will forever be locked in the quarterback’s memory as he wrote,

“We did itttttt.” Fans are now pouring tributes, praying for the speedy healing of the Russell family.

Fans rally around Keelon Russell in time of grief 

Holding a $1.3 million NIL valuation, a few days back, Keelon gifted a brand-new Mercedes luxury car to his mother, April Moore. Unfortunately, the celebration was cut short. A tattoo artist named Lovodges Heggins said, “I’m grateful for being able to give her a tat Stay strong for mom. My prayers and Thoughts are with y’all.” 

In these hard times, the college football programs are coming together, keeping their rivalry aside, as SMU cornerback Javion Holiday’s mother poured in some kind words for Keelon. She wrote, “Love you sooo much son wish i could give you one of these hugs right now.” In the picture, she is seen hugging Keelon, who has been her son’s classmate in Duncanville High School. 

Well, Kierston was not known for being Keelon’s sister. Prior to graduating from high school, she played basketball for Duncanville. A fan on X grieved the loss, “Oh my. So sad 😞 My heartfelt condolences.” We get to know how Kierston was from her obituary, a part of which reads, “Her presence on the court was marked by strength, agility, and a competitive drive that made her a standout in Texas high school basketball.” 

Keelon’s coach from Duncanville, Jayson Lavender, also poured in his tribute. Sharing an old picture with Keelon from his high school, the coach wrote, “Psalm 34:18- “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Fans are heartbroken for missing out on a power-packed siblings’ journey at the University of Alabama.

On that note, an X fan wrote, “🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 tragic.” Her final post on Instagram was a picture of her in a Duncanville basketball jersey from 32 weeks ago with the caption, “This year personal.” What was once a shared dream is now a sacred promise—Keelon’s playing for both of them.