Notre Dame Commit Profile: Keon Keeley, Defensive End

Breaking down Notre Dame elite defensive end commit Keon Keeley

Notre Dame make a gigantic early splash in the 2023 class when it landed elite five-star defensive end Keon Keeley. Here's all you need to know about the talented Fighting Irish commit.

KEON KEELEY PROFILE

Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
High School: Berkeley Prep

Height: 6-6
Weight: 230

IB Grade: 5.0 (Top 25 caliber player)
Upside Grade: 5.0

Offers: Notre Dame, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Oklahoma, USC, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Louisville, West Virginia, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Rutgers

Recruited By: Mike Elston

RECRUITING RANKINGS

On3: 5-star - No. 3 overall - No. 1 edge
247Sports: 4-star - No. 9 overall - No. 2 edge
Rivals: 5-star - No. 14 overall - No. 1 weakside end
ESPN: 4-star - No. 23 overall - No. 1 edge
Composite: 5-star - No. 6 overall - No. 1 edge

FILM ANALYSIS

I loved Keeley's talent and potential as a sophomore, but as a junior he already started to tap into his five-star potential, which is why he jumped up to a 5-star prospect on my board. 

The first thing that stands out about Keeley is his elite length and frame. He's listed at 6-6 and 230 pounds, but he's still on the thin side and has a young body. Keeley has the frame that should allow him to get to at least 245-250 pounds by the time he enrolls at Notre Dame. Keeley has exceptional length, possessing arms that are as long as I've seen from a high school prospect, especially one as young as he is at this point.

As a junior he showed improved power, and there is still plenty of room for improvement and development there. When he comes off with good pad level and shoots his hands he can rock blockers back and even the longest of tackles can struggle to keep hands on. These traits combine with his athleticism to make Keeley an effective edge run defender.

Keeley shows an explosive burst off the edge, and it took a jump as a junior. He can blow past offensive tackles with his first step, but despite being so long he can get low and bend around the edge, and I am incredibly impressed with his natural feel for winning on the edge. There are things the elite pass rushers just do naturally, and we saw that from Keeley throughout his junior season. 

Keeley gets on quarterbacks in a hurry and he arrived with a great deal more force as a junior, which five-star quarterback Arch Manning learned first hand in a head-to-head matchup this season. Keeley is a nimble and smooth athlete that possesses impressive foot quickness and balance. He has all the traits needed to eventually learn and master a wide array of pass rush moves.

The Berkeley Prep star has an impressive football IQ for a player his age. He makes quick reads, gets his hands up quickly when he sees quick game and when he loses a pass rush he does a great job of getting his eyes on the quarterback and trying to use his length to get his hands on the ball.

What's scary is that he still has plenty of room to continue growing, improving his technique and to improve his game despite already being a five-star prospect. If he continues to progress he'll end up being the best edge player to sign with Notre Dame since Aaron Lynch. The difference is Keeley is already ahead of where Lynch and Stephon Tuitt - the other elite five-star from that 2011 - were as juniors.

Junior Highlights

GRADE KEY

5.0 - Elite player
4.5 - All-American caliber player
4.0 - Multi-year starter
3.5 - Key role player / Late career-starter
3.0 - Backup

IB CONTENT

Keon Keeley Commits To Notre Dame

Class Impact: Keon Keeley To Notre Dame

Breaking Down The Commitment Of Keon Keeley To ND

Keon Keeley Explains Why Notre Dame Was The Perfect Fit

Academics Were A Key Factor In Keon Keeley's Choice Of ND

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

Notre Dame 2021 Roster
Notre Dame 2021 Schedule

Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense

Notre Dame 2023 Class Big Board

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