Five-star EDGE Keon Keeley made his first visit to the Swamp since June on Saturday, and he left Gainesville impressed with the new culture that’s being established at Florida, according to 247Sports.
Keeley, who plays high school ball in Tampa, knew how he felt about the University of Florida under Dan Mullen, but he can already tell how much he likes the program under Billy Napier. It’s not enough to pull Keeley away from his Notre Dame pledge just yet, but the Gators seemed well-positioned with the No. 10 recruit in the country moving into the spring.
“Great university and definitely on the rise,” Keeley said of Florida. “But I’ve got to talk to my head coach about a lot of things and revisit, talk to my family and my head coach at my high school. Just kind of rework around the recruiting process, but it was definitely a great visit. I had a great time.”
Much of Keeley’s visit was spent with outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson. They went over some ways that Keeley could use his speed, length and athleticism to impact the defense right away. He said that Florida’s outside linebackers should be excited about what Peterson has to offer.
Keeley’s next stop is at Notre Dame on March 26 for the team’s spring game. The Fighting Irish also have a new head coach this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Keeley back off his early pledge if things don’t impress him the same way they did at Florida. That said, he’s still pretty high on Notre Dame right now.
The industry generated 247Sports Composite ranks Keeley as the top EDGE and No. 10 overall recruit in the class of 2023. He ranks fourth in the state of Florida, and Billy Napier appears determined to keep the best in the state at home.