Football, academics both pave way for Bishop Moore DL Josh Keeler
When it comes to brains and brawn, few football players have an equally talented mix of both.
Josh Keeler is definitely rare. The 6-foot-2, 296-pound defensive lineman has reached elite status in both the classroom and on the football field and it's paying huge dividends as he moves toward his senior year at Orlando Bishop Moore High.
Keeler has scholarship offers from Football Bowl Subdivision schools, as well as Ivy League schools, and when it comes down to picking the destination for his future, it won't be an easy task.
He carries a 4.47 GPA and his test scores are outstanding, with an 1820 SAT (1200 two-part) and a 32 on the ACT. Those types of numbers are the reason why he has opportunities to go play football for Harvard and Yale.
His latest FBS offer comes from Southern Mississippi, and he also picked up an offer at academically-acclaimed Vanderbilt this past weekend during an unofficial visit to the Nashville, Tenn., school. FAU and Western Michigan have also offered.
"I'm looking at all my options and I'm looking for a great combination of academics and football," Keeler said. "It's the combination of that and finding the right place for me. It's about where I feel the most at home and where I want to spend the next four years of my life.
"Academics will definitely play a big part in my decision. I do think it will be a tough decision. It's a good decision to be able to make, obviously, and the schools offering me are great schools and I'm excited to have these options."
His attention to academics is something Keeler said has always been a main focus.
"That comes from my parents and my sister [Lauren], who is also very smart," Keeler said. "That's always been encouraged because eventually football is going to end, but the education I am going to get from college and from high school is something that is going to carry on throughout my life ... education is the backbone and I always try to remind myself of that."
Keeler is a big, physical lineman with good quickness for a trench warrior, which a lot of coaches have noticed. He has played defensive end and on the interior at Bishop Moore. He will be a nose guard or defensive tackle at the next level.
"[Vandy coaches] really like my motor and the passion I play with," Keeler said. "Also the way I play the game and the way I use my hands and how I get off the ball."
College coaches love to talk about the type of motor players have at Bishop Moore, a lot of which can be attributed to the coaching staff of Matt Hedrick, whose defensive coordinator Billy Hubbard does a great job with the linemen.
"Yes, I think a lot of it does come from the coaching staff," Keeler said, "and then a lot of it also comes from the fact that we do have a lot of high quality, high caliber guys and we've created somewhat of a culture of competition on our team and we really challenge each other in practice."
Keeler, who is ranked No. 24 in the Sentinel's 2016 Central Florida Super60, has been pleased with the recruiting process so far.
"I think it's going really well and I've been on the uptake the past couple of weeks," he said. "I think my hard work during the season and the preseason has paid off. Coaches really seem to like my junior film."
