Being a five-star college football prospect comes with the good and the bad. The good, every possible opportunity in the country is out there. The bad, a tough decision has to be made. For Keon Keeley, one hard decision was made on June 28, 2021, committing to Notre Dame. Another one was made on Aug. 17 decommitting from the Irish, and the last difficult task was made on Monday verbally committing to Alabama.

Giving a behind the scenes perspective, Keeley’s head coach Dominick Ciao from Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) talks about the recruiting process that led the weakside defensive end to Tuscaloosa.

IN HIS WORDS

Coach Ciao on the overall recruiting process for Keeley:

“We are fortunate he was recruited by great schools and coaches,” Ciao said. “It was a tough decision for him. He decided this is the best place for him, and his family felt it was the best. He is very excited about playing for Alabama and head coach Nick Saban. This is the chance of a lifetime. We are very excited. We are proud of him.”

The draw to the Crimson Tide:

“The fit for him was in all phases; football, academics, and socially,” Caio stated. “It was a process. Every year it gets tougher with social media and outside sources. Keon, his mom, and his family are very happy with the decision.”

How hard was the decision for Keeley behind closed doors?

“For me, every school was great in their recruitment of Keon,” Caio said. “They all have something that drew him in. He had challenges telling people no. In the end, it was easy to say yes to Alabama.”

What put Alabama over the top?

“It was something he felt,” Caio shared. “It was a tough decision. He was being recruited by tremendous schools and coaches. He had a hard time with it. It was a challenge. Keon felt something in his heart to go there. It was a tough decision for him. He followed his heart, that is where it led him.”