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LOGAN — In the category of the state of Utah’s most exciting college football player, the nominees are: Chuckie Keeton (quarterback, Utah State), Kyle Van Noy (linebacker, BYU) and Trevor Reilly (defensive end/linebacker, Utah).
And the winner is (drumroll please): Chuckie Keeton.
If there were such an award, and a vote was actually taken, the playmaker from Logan would win going away. Rarely has one individual energized a team and an entire fan base the way Keeton has done during his two-plus seasons at Utah State. The best comparison in recent years is BYU sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette.
So it is with tremendous sadness that all of us will have to wait until next August to see Keeton take another snap for the Aggies. As we know, the junior suffered season-ending knee injuries in Utah State’s demoralizing loss to BYU last week.
Any way you look it, it stinks.
As fun as it is to watch Van Noy and Reilly play — or any other player, for that matter — no one has done more for his football program than Keeton has done for the Aggies. Since arriving from Texas, he has created a buzz not seen in Logan practically since the days of leather helmets.
Along with Gary Andersen, the former coach who took the Wisconsin job in the offseason, Keeton is responsible for making the program respectable again. Future NFL players have come through Logan over the years, but none have made an impact like Keeton has. Without him, the Aggies might not have received an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference.
Van Noy and Reilly are both worthy of their nominations. Each is the heart-and-soul of his team’s respective defense.
Few players in the program’s history have played as well as Van Noy, the soft-spoken senior from Reno, Nev. His performance in last season’s Poinsettia Bowl, which included scoring two touchdowns on defense and blocking a punt, is the stuff of legends.
Reilly burst on the scene three years ago, turning in a dominating performance in Utah’s 54-10 thrashing of BYU in Provo. This year’s undisputed leader for the Utes, he played much of last season with an unpublicized serious knee injury.
But neither can’t match the combination of excitement and impact that Keeton has had. All things considered, he belongs with the storied names in the state’s history.
So it causes a great deal of amusement to hear USU coach Matt Wells. Speaking at his weekly press conference, Wells refused to go overboard in praise of his injured quarterback.
“It’s the media and outside people that put one kid on a pedestal,” Wells said.
You’ve got to love football coaches, many of whom strive to be America’s Toughest Guy. Never back down or show weakness.
Wells has got to put on his best we-got-this face to the players, who knew their hopes of beating BYU were dashed the second Keeton went down. With a 2-0 conference record, the Aggies play host to perennial power Boise State this week.
Even if a Mountain West championship no longer is possible, the Aggies still have a shot at a decent record in Wells’ rookie season as a head coach. Chuckie who?
“Chuckie Keeton is not Chuckie Keeton without (offensive linemen) Tyler Larsen, without Eric Schultz,” Wells said. “Eric and Tyler have played every snap Chuckie has played. Kevin (Whimpey) has played quite a bit, Jamie (Markosian) has played quite a bit. (Tight end) D.J. (Tialavea) has been there every step of the way since the Auburn game (in 2011), so has (receiver) Travis Reynolds. Chuckie is Chuckie because guys around him have played well.”
Yeah, Ringo Starr made The Beatles, too. And the Bulls without Michael Jordan were still six-time NBA champions.
Before we label Wells certifiably nuts, he did acknowledge Keeton’s massive contributions. He believes in his other players but knows the quarterback is one of a kind.
“He's a great leader,” Wells said. “It hurts to lose a great leader and a great teammate. You should see the way he acts in the locker room and in the summer. You don't replace that.”
Maybe never.
