Keon Keeley is entering his third season at Alabama. He's been labeled a bust by national media and a disappointment at best from fans.
Keeley arrived at Alabama as one of the top prospects in the country in the class of 2023. He was a consensus 5-star and according to the 247 Composites, he was the No. 2 overall player in his recruiting class.
Keeley was a major coup in Nick Saban's final recruiting class. Saban flipped him from Notre Dame and the expectation was that Keeley would ultimately take up the mantle left behind by Will Anderson and Dallas Turner in Tuscaloosa.
It hasn't materialized. Yet.
Keeley is entering a critical third season in Tuscaloosa. Fans have more or less expected him to enter the Transfer Portal the last two offseasons. He's held steady. Quietly working behind the scenes to improve his craft.
Keeley had to learn a new position in Kane Wommack's defensive scheme following Saban's abrupt retirement. Last year was a transition year for him. This year, the hope is that he'll be ready to contribute in a meaningful way.
Wommack was complimentary of Keeley during bowl practices, stating he was "as excited as I've ever been about him."
Josh Pate recently spent some time in Tuscaloosa during his 2025 Pate State Speaker Series. He interviewed Kalen DeBoer and Pate left the Capstone a believer in Keeley.
Pate stated he would circle Keeley as a "sleeper player" for Alabama in 2025. You can hear his full comments about Keeley in the below video starting around the 1:10 mark:
Pate's comments are very process oriented. Too many times, we place unrealistic expectations on kids and if they don't perform right away, they are cast aside. It's a business after all. A cruel one, at that. But plenty of players have needed a few years of development before they had breakout seasons. There are several examples you can point to during the Saban era.
Guys like Jonathan Allen, Reggie Ragland, Christian Miller, and Chris Braswell took some developing before they had breakout performances in their third years.
Will Keon Keeley have his breakout year in 2025?
Keeley should see playing time in 2025. Alabama is deep at the Bandit position, so it won't be easy for him to get snaps. The Crimson Tide returns a starter in LT Overton, added a talented player out of the Transfer Portal in Florida's Kelby Collins, and Keeley will have to compete with a classmate of his in Jordan Renaud.
Collins is being cross trained at defensive tackle as Alabama's depth there isn't as impressive as it is on the outside. That could open up more opportunities for snaps for Keeley. At a listed 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Keeley could potentially factor in for snaps on the interior as well.
Keeley might not take a star turn in 2025. He might just be a complimentary piece to Alabama's defensive line rotation. And that's okay. He's improved every year he's been on campus and seems finally ready for meaningful snaps.
His patience to wait his turn and develop in the background at Alabama should be applauded. In today's Transfer Portal era, it's a rare quality for a player to be willing to sit and wait.
Keeley's patience is about to pay off.