American Airlines Center played host to the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. A few big-time stars were in the arena as well, watching what eventually turned into a win for Los Angeles. One was Alabama signee Keelon Russell, who was recently named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Multiple perks come with winning the award but one of the best may be a custom letterman jacket. The Mavericks posted a video of Russell in the jacket on their Instagram page, something only he can own.

On the right side of his chest, POY is there. Russell then turns over a little bit and shows the Gatorade logo. You can even see his No. 12 on the bottom half, a number he will likely continue to wear once arriving in Tuscaloosa to play for Kalen DeBoer.

You can check out the full video via the Mavs’ Instagram here, it’s the third slide.

Russell played high school football at Duncanville (TX), where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The stats throughout the 2024 season were incredible, throwing for 4,177 yards, 55 touchdowns, and just four interceptions while completing 69.5% of his throws. Nearly 300 yards per game in a senior season very few quarterbacks across the country can compete with.

The season just ended for Russell, with Duncanville losing in the 6A-DI semifinals to North Crowley. Getting to and winning another state championship game was the goal but the Panthers fell a couple of games short. Instead, North Crowley will face Austin (TX) Westlake for the crown in Texas’ top classification at AT&T Stadium.

Now, all focus is on getting to Tuscaloosa and getting his college career started with Alabama. DeBoer flipped Russell from SMU over the summer and has only seen his stock soar.

Not many will get to say they played for Nick Saban and Bill Belichick in college.

In fact, Miles McVay might end up being the only one.

McVay, the second-year offensive tackle, will transfer to UNC after spending two seasons with the Crimson Tide, McVay told On3.

McVay is a former four-star offensive tackle in the 2023 recruiting class from East St. Louis, Illinois. He is listed at 6-6, 342 pounds.

McVay saw time in four games as a freshman in 2023, in which he ultimately redshirted. Then in his second season for Alabama, McVay played in all 12 games, primarily on special teams. But he also received some offensive snaps against Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, Missouri, LSU and Mercer.

The transfer portal opened Dec. 9 and will remain open for about another week for all of college football.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

There are hot starts to a PGA Tour career, then there’s what former Alabama golfer Nick Dunlap did this season en route to being named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

Dunlap, who turned pro after winning The American Express in January, won the prestigious honor in golf on Thursday.

“On behalf of the PGA Tour, congratulations to Nick Dunlap on being named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Nick carved out his place in the PGA Tour record book. To begin 2024 as a collegiate golfer and end it with two PGA Tour victories and among the top-50 players in the FedExCup is truly impressive.”

Not only did Nick Dunlap win twice on tour, he did so in historic fashion. He became the first player in PGA Tour history to win as both an amateur and a professional in the same season.

At 20 years old, he also became the youngest player to be named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year since Jordan Spieth earned the honor back in 2013.

Nick Dunlap won the award thanks to a member vote, with PGA Tour members who played at least 15 events during the 2024 campaign eligible to vote.

Dunlap received 57 percent of the vote, according to the PGA Tour.

Of course, Nick Dunlap’s year began as an amateur college golfer at Alabama. But he played in and won The American Express, then shortly after announced his move to turn pro.

He would later go on to win the Barracuda Championship in July.

Because he played so well, Nick Dunlap finished in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings, qualifying him for the PGA Tour’s signature events in 2025.

Dunlap ended his amateur career as the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He won the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2023 U.S. Amateur, joining Tiger Woods as the only players to win each title.