RECRUITING: Wildcats Trying To Catch A Speedster
Updated: Feb 16, 2021
(Photo courtesy of Keishaun Dudley)
Colby Peterson
NAME: Keishaun Dudley
HIGH SCHOOL: Kearns High School (Kearns, UT)
POSITION: Wide Receiver & Cornerback
TOP SCHOOLS: Weber State
When thinking of a word to describe Keishaun Dudley’s game at Kearns High School (Kearns, UT), the first thing that came to mind was SPEED.
The six-foot tall, 170-pound Brooklyn, New York native runs a 4.4 second 40-yard dash, splitting his playing time between wide receiver and cornerback. For anyone familiar with the game, both positions require speed to be effective, and Dudley has it in bunches.
After moving to Utah six years ago, Dudley started getting more serious about football, attending camps and playing Pee Wee football in West Jordan before earning his spot on the Kearns High School roster. As he grew in to the game, he was fascinated by the performances of Odell Beckham Jr. and DK Metcalfe, focusing on their pre-game preparation and dazzling one-handed catches.
In his senior season as a Kearns Cougar, Dudley logged 12 receptions for 269 yards and five touchdowns. His most productive game came against Kearns’ rival, Hunter High. When asked what made that game special, he noted the hot rivalry between the two schools: “We just got up for that game. Hunter is the rival and we wanted to bring it to them.”
And bring it they did, beating their West Valley nemesis 35-21. Dudley contributed four receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns - the difference in the game.
In addition to his contributions on offense last season, Dudley contributed eight tackles on defense as a cornerback.
Off the field, Dudley is involved in DECA and FBLA clubs, planning to major in Business Administration or Mechanical Engineering. He also donates his time helping at a local homeless shelter with his church. When he’s not playing football, he pushes his limits running track and playing point guard on the basketball team.
While speaking to Weber State Weekly, Dudley compared playing point guard to his natural wide receiver position, saying, “You gotta know the game plan. The point guard is always tasked with executing. For wide receivers, you gotta know your routes and stick with them. That’s how the QB finds you.”
After playing in all nine games for Kearns this year, Dudley is looking to the future. He’s chatted with Weber State coaches and received a Preferred Walk On invite to the team. He told Weber State Weekly that he has reached out to a number of other coaches and schools and is awaiting responses from them, as well.
Asked what Wildcat fans can expect from his game, Dudley said, “When they see me play, they’ll know.”
WALDO’S MAGIC 8 BALL PREDICTION:
We gave Waldo’s Magic 8 Ball a shake to see what the future might hold for Keishaun and the Wildcats.
The response: Outlook is positive.
With Weber State being the only offer currently on the board for Dudley, the 8 Ball seems to be feeling good about the prospect of seeing him potentially fill in the role of Seniors David Ames or Rashid Shaheed in the Fall of 2021.
Of course, all of this could change, should another school extend a scholarship offer, but as the cards lay now, Dudley just may be in purple and white, come September.