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 2023 Football Schedule
• ECU 2022-23 Hoops Schedule
• ECU 2023 Baseball Schedule

— Recruiting Thumbnails —
Football: 2023 • Hoops: 2023-24

Football Recruiting
Legacy of ECU’s receivers helped sell Keigley

August 6, 2020 By Sammy Batten Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Tommy John surgery ended a promising baseball career for Toler Keigley, but started him down the path to becoming a major college football player.

Keigley was a prominent fixture on the travel baseball scene in Florida growing up and played shortstop and pitcher all the way up to his freshman season at Gulf Breeze High School in Florida. But while pitching as a freshman he suffered an injury that would eventually lead to Tommy John surgery and effectively end his diamond career.

“My Dad was like, ‘You should probably try out for football,”’ Keigley said. “I hadn’t played before, but I tried out and fell in love with it.”

The decision paid off for Keigley, now a 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver at Mobile Christian School in Mobile, AL. Football Bowl Subdivision programs such as Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern came courting Keigley, but it was East Carolina that became the winning suitor by earning his verbal commitment on July 8.

Toler Keigley (247sports.com)

That was about a month after the Pirates made their initial contact with Keigley through senior offensive analyst Ryan McManus, according to Mobile Christian coach Ronnie Cottrell. A week after that first interaction, ECU offered a scholarship, which Keigley accepted after a succession of FaceTime calls and a virtual tour of the Greenville campus and Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

“It (recruitment) was very strange (due to COVID-19 outbreak),” Keigley said. “I’m used to doing spring football and coaches coming to watch me during this spring. That didn’t happen. But they called me. We had a lot of FaceTime calls. I had a virtual tour with them in which the director of recruiting took me around the entire athletic department, stadium, and showed me the locker rooms from his cellphone. The virtual tour is what really got me over there.

“Plus, they have a strong history with receivers there. They told me about Zay Jones and other receivers, and the records they broke. And they told me they thought I could do the same. That kind of pushed them to the top.”

Of course, Keigley might have been a baseball prospect for ECU if not for the suggestion by his father, Brian, who was a college kicker at both Georgia Tech and LSU.

Toler Keigley spent his freshman year at Gulf Breeze recovering from Tommy John surgery before getting his football career started as a sophomore. In seven games for the Dolphins, Keigley hauled in 13 receptions for 293 yards and three touchdowns.

The family would move to Mobile because of his father’s job and Toler joined the program at Mobile Christian. Leading the football program at Mobile Christian is Cottrell, a former college assistant and recruiting coordinator at Alabama and Florida State, where he worked for legendary coach Bobby Bowden.

“When the family made the move to Mobile, he visited our school,” Cottrell said about Keigley. “When we got him out on the field and saw what a great player he was, it was like Christmas in the fall. He’s such a great player, and our players love him. He’s just a very respected player on our team.”

Keigley played a major role in helping the Leopards reach the Super 7 Class 3A state title game. In a state quarterfinal victory against Gordo, Keigley hauled in seven passes for 132 yards and scored twice, then followed that with a five-catch, 128-yard, two-touchdown performance in the semifinals against T.D. Miller.

One play in the semifinal victory against Gordo still sticks out in Cottrell’s mind.

“Just before halftime we threw a jump ball from the 50 toward Toler,” Cottrell said. “He jumped over the defender and came down with the ball for a touchdown on the last play of the half. It was one of those deals we were basically throwing it up. But he was just determined that he was going to bring the ball down, and he did.”

Keigley finished the season with 33 receptions for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Cottrell compares Keigley’s potential to that of former Florida State receiver Matt Frier, who was co-captain and a key contributor to the 1993 Seminole squad that won the first national title for Bowden.

“He reminds me of Matt Frier,” Cottrell said. “He’s just total energy, total motion, just great effort. He’s a freak physically.”

Keigley is capable of playing in the slot or outside, which will make him even more valuable at ECU.

“I would say my strengths are my ability to find space and separate from defenders with my speed,” Keigley said. “I’m really good at running routes. I’m almost unguardable because my route tree I’ve developed over the past three years is where I can run anything I want. I can attack the football and go up and get it. What the (ECU) coaches like about me is I’m a combination guy where they can put me in the slot or on the outside. I’m just a versatile player.”

Cottrell used Keigley mainly as an outside receiver last season, but his skills aren’t limited to receiver.

“He’s just a phenomenal special teams player,” Cottrell said. “That’s why he’ll be a great college player. He also can punt. He can hold on extra points. He can do just about anything you want him to do. He could play defensive back if you needed him to. On (college) rosters today, you need guys like that.”

RECRUITING CLASS OF 2021 THUMBNAILS…
RECRUITING CLASS OF 2020 THUMBNAILS…

Related

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: Football Recruiting, News & Features, Recruiting, Recruiting Class of 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recent News & Features

Baseball News
Midweek struggles continue for No. 8 ECU

Baseball News
Grosz shuts out GMU

Baseball News
Throng sees Pirates claim series over GMU

Baseball News
Pirates take opener with Patriots

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Spring reps revealing

Baseball News
Camels top ECU, 2-1

THE SPORTS OBJECTIVE: ABSOLUTE EMPOWERMENT
Jeff Connors with Vonta Leach

ECU Recruiting News
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

Baseball News
ECU completes sweep

Baseball News
Pirates take series with walkoff win

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

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
Class of 2024 starts with prized receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Late pitch lures lineman with pedigree

Recruiting Evaluation Part 2: Defense
Report card: Quality talent fills big holes

Recruiting Evaluation Part 1: Offense
Report card: Pirates reload at skill spots

ECU Recruiting News
Towering lineman Neolian still honing skills (updated)

ECU Recruiting News
More help is on the way to ECU secondary

ECU Recruiting News
Portal delivers blue chipper RaRa Dillworth

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review (UPDATED)
Pirates tap transfer portal for more talent

AAC Early Signing Review
New members dive into AAC recruiting wars

Class of 2023 Early Signing Review
First wave of recruits just the beginning

ECU Recruiting News
Brown finds way to ECU through portal

ECU Recruiting News
Transfer safety McDaniel destined for ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates land coveted Spartanburg quarterback

ECU Recruiting News
Swift ECU recruit ‘in a class of his own’

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates win out for Georgia prep linebacker

ECU Recruiting News
Linebacker with pedigree charts path to ECU

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates find a gem in Palmetto State receiver

ECU Recruiting News
Official visit swayed North Mecklenburg star

ECU Recruiting News
Physical Georgia receiver poses tough matchup

ECU Recruiting News
Pirates project lineman Durant as center

ECU Recruiting News
ECU spotted potential in Conley lineman

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

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, March 26, 2023

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
Wednesday, March 29, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, March 27, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Sunday, March 26, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, March 25, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, March 24, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, March 23, 2023

GREG VACEK'S WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2023 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy