Keeton just getting started at Utah State

SALT LAKE CITY — Chuckie Keeton was committed to play football at the Air Force Academy when Utah State head coach Gary Andersen convinced the high school senior from Houston, Texas, to take a recruiting trip to Logan.

It was a trip that not only changed Chuckie's commitment but would change the Utah State football program into a winner.

It was a Friday night game between BYU and Utah State that was nationally televised on ESPN.

"You could tell there was just a little bit of a different vibe," Keeton recalls.

The Aggies defeated the Cougars 31-16 for their first win over BYU in 17 years. Fans rushed the field to celebrate the victory, and Chuckie was sold.

"It sparked something inside of me to make me lean a little bit more towards Utah State versus any other school," he said. "It was just showing the potential of what we could do in the future, and since then I've been happy with my decision."

It didn't take long for coaches to see the potential of what Chuckie could do at the quarterback position. Current Utah State head coach and former Aggie quarterback Matt Wells was just hired by Gary Andersen as the quarterbacks coach in January 2011. Wells spent his second day on the job in Houston meeting with Chuckie just weeks before signing day.

"I saw a young man that was very confident, very humble," Wells remembers. "He seemed to have it all together, almost a little too good to be true. Nothing has changed two-and-a-half years later."

Keeton continued to impress during fall camp in 2011. It wasn't just his physical skills but his intelligence and ability to retain knowledge that set him apart.

"We put in a certain screen play and I said, ‘If you get this, always skip No. 1 and No. 2 and go to your third read,' " Wells said. "It didn't come up for about five or six days and that situation presented itself — and he's still 18 — and he dropped back, that pressure came. He drilled it for about a five or six-yard gain, and the offensive line coach said, ‘Why did you do that? Why did you skip No. 1 and No. 2 and go right to three immediately?' And he's like, ‘Well, that's what Coach Wells told me to do."

Keeton won the starting job as a true freshman in 2011. His first career start was on the road against defending national champion Auburn. He was sensational.

"I think it's unique that he's at the quarterback spot and he's done it at this stage and at this level from game 1," Wells said. "And the stage and the environment that he was put in that situation, he didn't flinch, and he hasn't flinched in two years."

He was 21-30 for 213 yards and also rushed for two touchdowns in a game the Aggies should have won on national television.

"Being able to play as well as we did against Auburn the first game, it's amazing," Chuckie said. "That was the first stepping stone that not only I had but we had as a program in becoming a much more elite, much more recognized program."

He missed the last five games of his freshman year with a neck injury but returned his sophomore year even better. He completed 68 percent of his passes in 2011 for 3,373 yards, 27 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He also rushed for 619 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the Aggies to their best season in school history.

He led the Aggies to their first win over Utah in 15 years. He led them to their first ever road win against a ranked opponent when they beat No. 19 Louisiana Tech. He had 461 yards of total offense in that game.

The Aggies won their first outright conference championship since 1936 and first bowl win since 1993. They finished the season ranked 16th and 17th in the major polls.

"I definitely wouldn't trade this past season for a lot of things," Keeton said.

That would be an impressive way for most college quarterbacks to end their career, but Keeton is just getting started. He returns this fall as a junior, and with many talented seniors moving on, it's his time to become a leader. The Aggies make the transition to the Mountain West where they will battle programs like Boise State, Nevada and San Diego State for a conference championship. The goals haven't changed.

"This year we have a chance to make history once again," he said. "It's going to take some work, but I think it's a very doable objective."

When he's done in Logan he will have a chance to play at the next level. I asked Wells if Chuckie is an NFL quarterback.

"No question," Wells responded. "He can throw from the pocket. Chuckie can throw on the move. He can throw action passes. He can throw play shots. He can throw quickly. He can throw side adjust. He can direct protections. He can do a lot of stuff on the board in an interview that will impress a lot of people."

Keeton still has time to build his resume for NFL teams, and he has unfinished business at Utah State. He ranks first all-time in school history in career completion percentage and is already fourth all-time in career touchdown passes. He is among 30 players named to the 2013 Heisman Trophy watch list. With two years left in Logan he could go down as the greatest quarterback in school history.

"Legacy is something I haven't really thought of too much," he said. "All I can think about is being the best person I can be on and off the field. With that, people are going to define my legacy for me. That's the great thing about it. All I have to do is be myself."

When he was a 17-year-old high school senior he had never heard of Logan, Utah, but now he's grateful he took that trip to Logan back in 2010.

"It's crazy how some stepping stones are put in your way to get you to the next level," he said. "I'm definitely happy where I am right now and happy with where this program is gonna go and where we're going to be in the near future."

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