Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives

• ECU 2022 Football Schedule
• ECU 2022 Baseball Schedule
• ECU 2021-22 Hoops Schedule

FB Recruiting Thumbnails:
• Class of 2022 • Class of 2023

Football Recruiting
Help is on the way for ECU running game

November 27, 2019 By Sammy Batten 1 Comment

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Keaton Mitchell had to wait his turn to become the feature running back at Eagles Landing Christian Academy in McDonough, GA. But when his time finally came, Mitchell produced a season that placed his name in the state record books ahead of legendary Herschel Walker.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder registered 49 rushing touchdowns along with 2,509 yards rushing during his first season as a starter in 2018. The touchdown total is the second-highest single-season mark in Georgia state history, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, ranking just behind the 58 achieved by Emanuel County’s Washaun Ealey in 2007. Mitchell’s touchdown tally moved him ahead of Walker (45), the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner at Georgia two-time NFL Pro Bowl pick.

“He was really a late bloomer,’’ Eagles Landing coach Jonathan Gess said. “We knew he was fast and talented in the ninth grade. But he hadn’t hit puberty yet. He started to blossom in the 10th grade. We could see the greatness in his vision and how fast he was. Then he turned into a phenom his junior year.’’

Keaton Mitchell (Image source: 247sports.com)

The “phenom’’ junior season by Mitchell immediately attracted the attention of college recruiters, but the first major program to offer a scholarship was East Carolina. The Pirates eventually won a verbal commitment from Mitchell on October 27 over offers from Coastal Carolina, Colorado State, Eastern Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Miami Ohio, Middle Tennessee State, Nebraska, South Alabama, South Florida, Temple, Troy and West Virginia.

An official visit to ECU’s campus in September where he attended the William & Mary game all but sealed Mitchell’s pledge to the Pirates.

“I really like the coaches,’’ Mitchell said. “They made me feel like they really wanted me to be part of their team and their school. And I loved the atmosphere in the stadium and the fans … the fans were all talking to me and telling me to come there on my visit.’’

The decision continues a family tradition in football for Mitchell.

Mitchell’s father, Anthony, starred at Georgia’s Westlake High before earning a scholarship to Tuskegee University. The elder Mitchell then earned a roster spot as an undrafted free agent safety with the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Anthony Mitchell served as a reserve during the Ravens’ run to the Super Bowl championship and participated in one of the defining plays during the playoffs.

Tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game against the Tennessee Titans, the Ravens blocked an Al Del Greco field-goal attempt, which Mitchell scooped up and returned 90 yards for a touchdown. The play sparked Baltimore to a 24-10 win and sent them on a path to the Super Bowl title.

Anthony Mitchell would spend eight seasons in the NFL before retiring and is now part of the coaching staff at Eagles Landing.

Like his father, Keaton Mitchell’s forte is his speed. Keaton has been clocked at 10.99 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 22.42 in the 200 and is part of a 4×100-meter relay team that holds the Eagles Landing school record.

“There’s no question he is the fastest running back in our program ever,’’ Gess said. “But entering his sophomore year he was only 145 or 150 pounds.’’

The Eagles were also blessed to have other college-level running backs on their roster during Mitchell’s first two seasons with the program. Trevor Gear, now a sophomore at Bethune-Cookman, was the team’s top ballcarrier in 2016 and gave way to Josh Mays the following season. Mays was a sophomore at Troy this season.

Their presence limited Mitchell to just one carry for five yards as a sophomore.

“It was tough waiting because I wanted to get on the field,’’ Mitchell said. “But my coaches told me to develop and learn. And I learned a lot watching those guys. When I got my chance I was able to shine.’’

“Shine’’ may be an understatement. Mitchell made his starting debut in August 2018 by rushing for 149 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-0 rout of Morrow. He would go on to gain over 200 yards in six of Eagles Landing’s 14 games that season, highlighted by a 16-carry, 311-yard, four-touchdown performance against Wesleyan.

Mitchell averaged 11.8 yards per carry on the way to earning Offensive Player of the Year honors for the Class A Private classification from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He was also named to the AJC’s Atlanta-Southside All-Metro squad.

Those video-game like stats have continued for Mitchell as a senior. Through the first 10 games this season, Mitchell ran 128 times for 1,340 yards and had scored 33 touchdowns. His best game to that date was a 25-carry, 195-yard, four-touchdown effort against Holy Innocents Episcopal.

Mitchell hasn’t just been a runner for the Eagles, however. One of the highlights of his senior year came on a pass play, according to Gess.

“We were down 35-28 right at the end of a game and we were on our own 30-yard line,’’ Gess said. “We had already hit him on a skinny post for a touchdown, but it gets called back. So it’s second-and-20 or something, we have two minutes to play and we have to score.

“We throw a simple out pass to Keaton, he takes it and goes to the house. That’s just him. He’s going to will your team to victory. He did the same thing in a game last year. We were down 28-21 late in the third quarter and can’t get anything going on offense. Once again, he pops a 75-yard run and it’s like nobody could tackle him.’’

Mitchell’s big-play skills will be a welcome addition next fall at ECU where the running game has been inconsistent at best this season. The Pirates’ running backs have scored just three of the team’s nine rushing touchdowns this year with quarterback Holton Ahlers producing the most with five.

“I talked about playing (early) with the coaches,’’ Mitchell said. “They said they need some speed in the backfield. They have great running backs, but I think I can add something to the group.’’

Mitchell is the second running back to join the ECU recruiting Class of 2020. Rahjai Harris from Byrnes High in Duncan, SC, gave a verbal commitment to the Pirates on Sept. 28.

Most of the 22 players pledged to the ECU at this point are expected to sign a national letter of intent during the early signing period that starts December 18.

RECRUITING CLASS OF 2020 THUMBNAILS…

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: Football Recruiting, News & Features, Recruiting, Recruiting Class of 2020

Comments

  1. Al Nichols says

    December 1, 2019 at 8:17 am

    Not running backs we need but linemen on both sides of the ball

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

ECU Recruiting News
ECU lands fleet-footed Georgia defensive back

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates face familiar foe in opener

ECU Recruiting News
‘Football town’ helps draw Short to Pirates

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Selfless, tough team made ECU skipper proud

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets edge rushers

VIEW FROM THE EAST
ECU salvages Super season

Baseball: Greenville Super Regional
Longhorns take soggy, decisive showdown

GREENVILLE SUPER REGIONAL PHOTOS
Game Day Gallery

Baseball: Greenville Super Regional
Texas rally forces game three

GREENVILLE SUPER REGIONAL PHOTOS
Game Day Gallery

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17
Tweets by bonesville

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

ECU Recruiting News
ECU lands fleet-footed Georgia defensive back

ECU Recruiting News
‘Football town’ helps draw Short to Pirates

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets edge rushers

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates aim high for interior line talent

ECU Recruiting News
Well stocked Pirates enter fray for O-linemen

ECU Recruiting News
ECU faces uphill battle in hunt for tight ends

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates cast wide net for wide receivers

ECU Recruiting News
Loaded Pirates still courting running backs

ECU Recruiting News
ECU targets quarterbacks of the future

AAC Football Recruiting News
Transfer portal reshaping AAC football programs

Class of 2022 Defensive Report Card
ECU’s former weak link becoming big strength (updated)

Class of 2022 Offensive Report Card
Help is on the way for blocking corps (update 3)

American Athletic Conference Recruiting
Bearcats lead AAC’s early signing push

Class of 2022 In-depth Analysis
Surprises, depth highlight early recruiting haul

VIEW FROM THE EAST
‘What a difference a year makes’

Football Recruiting Report
Prolific receiver Webb may enroll early

Football Recruiting Report
Another gifted running back headed to ECU

Football Recruiting Report
ECU wins pledge from hotly recruited RB Gunn

Football Recruiting Report
Coveted lineman Sacra may enroll early

Football Recruiting Report
Pirates lure a star from DB factory

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Harrell on quest for unanimous effort

Football Recruiting Report
West Craven star Mims sticking close to home

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates ready for preseason camp

Football Recruiting Report
Lineman built his future during COVID layoff

Football Recruiting Report
Norcross star on track for early enrollment

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, July 4th, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, July 3, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, July 2, 2022

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, July 4th, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, July 3, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, July 2, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, July 1, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, June 30, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, June 29, 2022

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Tuesday, June 28, 2022

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2022 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy