Alabama hopes freshman edge rusher is the next Will Anderson Jr.
Freshman edge rusher Keon Keeley comes into Alabama with high expectations as arguably the top recruit in the 2023 class.
Expectations may have gotten even higher on Memorial Day when Keeley revealed via social media that his number with the Crimson Tide will be No. 31—the number Will Anderson Jr. wore for three seasons before being taken No. 3 overall by the Houston Texans in this past NFL Draft.
Anderson was a star for the Crimson Tide, and that’s the type of player Nick Saban is undoubtedly hoping Keeley will turn into. And for what it’s worth, the rankings certainly thought it was possible. According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite rankings, Keeley was the No. 1 edge rushing recruit in his class as well as the No. 2 overall player in America only behind five-star Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
For comparison’s sake, Anderson was the No. 1 edge rusher in his class as the No. 5 player overall in 2020. The top recruit in that class was quarterback Bryce Young, who had a Heisman career at Alabama before going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
What’s in a number? The Crimson Tide certainly hope Keeley can have an Anderson-esque career by osmosis.
In three seasons, Anderson recorded 204 tackles and 34.5 sacks.
