Young Texas Tech tackle seizes opportunity
Matt Keeler took a leap of faith, a young man from Chicago choosing a college destination in West Texas without the benefit of a recruiting visit.
The 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive tackle signed with Texas Tech in January 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown that turned recruiting "trips" into online, virtual interactions. He chose Tech sight unseen, cast his lot with the Red Raiders before he could shake any of their hands.
"It was definitely scary," Keeler said Tuesday, "but I wanted to go somewhere south. I wanted to get away from home. I love home, but I wanted to venture out.
"I couldn't have gotten any luckier. This is an amazing place. I love being here. I love being in this atmosphere. Lubbock is amazing."
Keeler's Texas Tech experience got better last week. Forced to make his first college start on short notice, the sophomore from Nazareth Academy in the Chicago suburb of La Grange Park, Illinois, played a full game at right tackle. It couldn't have gone much better as Keeler helped the Red Raiders beat West Virginia 48-10 at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Monroe Mills, who started the first six games at right tackle, suffered a strained knee ligament in practice four days before the game.
"I'm always preparing like a one (starter)," Keeler said. "As a two, it's tough to prepare like you're going to play every week. But as soon as Monroe went down, it was a big intensity flip for me. I've really got to lock it in. I'm running with the ones now. I've got a big weight on my shoulders."
Making the assignment more of a challenge, West Virginia defensive lineman Dante Stills lined up in Keeler's vicinity several times. The returning first-team All-Big 12 honoree is one of the conference's most experienced and decorated defenders, but the Red Raiders mostly kept him in check.
Early in the game, Stills broke through and hit Behren Morton's arm as the Tech quarterback released a pass that fell incomplete. Other than that, Stills was credited with nothing on the stat sheet the rest of the day.
"It was something else," Keeler said. "It was my first start. The nerves were going. But after that first series, I really locked in and felt better, playing next to my best friend on the team, (right guard) Landon Peterson. I didn't want to let those guys down."
Tech rolled up 594 yards, including a season high 249 on the ground.
"We've come a long way," Keeler said. "We're coming together under (line coach Stephen) Hamby and being more physical and more dominant up front, really working our hands."
Mills remains questionable this week, so there appears to be a good chance Keeler will start again when Tech hosts Baylor at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
In his childhood dreams, Keeler would be starting for the Michigan Wolverines. However, suffering a broken wrist during his high-school career narrowed his options to mostly FCS schools coming out of high school. He went to Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College for the fall of 2020, but because of the pandemic, the Red Ravens' schedule was pushed to the spring of 2021.
During that fall and winter, interest in Keeler picked up considerably.
"Due to COVID, it was pretty weird," he said. "I got to my junior college, Coffeyville, in August (2020). Arizona State offered me (a scholarship) after about five or six weeks there, and then things kind of took off. It settled down a little bit, and then the previous (Texas Tech) staff reached out to me, coach Wells. They offered me.
"After that, I had (offers from) Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, Michigan State. Illinois came in late, but I really loved Tech. I thought I'd have an opportunity to play early. With my prior teammate, (Tech offensive lineman) Ethan Carde, coming here, I thought there was a good connection."
Even though extensive playing time on the offensive line didn't materialize until last week, Keeler has made other connections since, enough to make him glad he chose Lubbock.
"I'm from a big city, and I love the small-town atmosphere," he said. "Everyone is so polite here compared to where I'm from. Everyone's good to be around."
College football
Who: Texas Tech vs. Baylor
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium
Records: Baylor 4-3, 2-2 in the Big 12; Texas Tech 4-3, 2-2
Rankings (AP/coaches poll): Baylor unranked/receiving votes; Tech unranked/unranked
TV: ESPN2
Line: Tech by 2 1/2
Last game: Baylor 35, Kansas 23; Texas Tech 48, West Virginia 10
Last meeting: Baylor 27, Tech 24 last year in Waco
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Young Texas Tech tackle Matt Keeler seizes opportunity
