La Grange (Ill.) Nazareth Academy defensive end Ryan Keeler collected more than 30 scholarship offers in his recruitment and visited over a dozen schools before the NCAA put the recruiting process in a dead period last March. When it came time to make his college decision, though, Keeler picked a school that had only recently offered and that he had not visited.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Keeler’s first scholarship offer came the winter after his sophomore season from Florida Atlantic. His recruitment would take off from there, and by the time he lined up as a junior the Chicagoland product held 20 scholarship offers. One of those early offers came from Minnesota and he was able to visit the Gopher’s campus shortly after the offer. It was then he met defensive line coach Jim Panagos, who would move to Rutgers following the 2019 season and again offer Keeler as part of the Scarlet Knight’s staff. A month after the Rutgers offer, Keeler named a top five that consisted of Michigan, Ole Miss, Rutgers, Texas Tech and Virginia. Although in-person visits could not be taken, Keeler had several virtual visits with the Rutgers coaching staff and those clinched his commitment.
IN HIS WORDS
“Rutgers was an all-around great choice for me. The academics, the football – everything was just great for me and my family.
“I have been visiting (schools) since almost my freshman year, so it gave me an opportunity to look at what I wanted and what I didn’t want. Rutgers, they checked off all the boxes of what I wanted. They had it all. I feel like I have seen enough from the virtual tours and hearing things from other people.
“They say they picture me playing as a strongside defensive end on run downs, and when it gets into third and long they said they would line me up against whoever they graded the weakest pass protector.”
SCOUTING REPORT
There was a time we rated Keeler as an offensive tackle prospect because we graded him out higher in that role than at defensive end. He played his junior season close to 260 pounds, but then changed his eating habits and was down to 220 by the time this past spring rolled around. Keeler has now settled in at a weight of 245 pounds, and has the length to contend on the edge with offensive tackles. With the added weight last fall Keeler consistently handled the point of attack and was stout against the run, but he has the quick first step that can beat slow-moving tackles to the spot and be effective as a rush end as well. The off-season effort to lean-up his frame should only help with that quickness off the edge.
