How four-star South Carolina signee is preparing for his arrival in Columbia
Keenan Nelson headed to San Antonio for the Adidas All-American Bowl expecting to meet the best competition the 2022 recruiting class had to offer.
He never left the hotel room.
Nelson, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 upon his arrival, was cooped up in quarantine during the week after a test came back positive.
“I had to stay in the hotel room the whole time,” he said somberly.
Now back in Philadelphia, Nelson is moving past an all-star week lost and looking toward his next steps at South Carolina.
Rated a four-star recruit and No. 219 player in the 2022 class by the 247Sports Composite, Nelson is the second-highest ranked player in head coach Shane Beamer’s first signing class. That brings expectations with it.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, he brings needed versatility to the South Carolina secondary. Some of that comes with his background — Nelson began high school as a receiver before converting to defensive back full-time.
As a senior, he saw time on both offense and defense, helping St. Joseph’s Prep to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the 6A state title game.
“Keenan was a (guy) that comes from a great program in St. Joseph’s up in Philadelphia that could have gone a lot of places,” Beamer said in December. “But (he) came down here with this mom and dad, took a visit in the summertime on one of the June official visits (and) had a fantastic time.”
South Carolina has made a conscious effort to recruit up into the Mid Atlantic in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 classes since Beamer was hired in December of 2020. Nelson is one of three players — along with three-star offensive lineman Ryan Brubaker (Pennsylvania) and three-star quarterback Braden Davis (Delaware) — to sign with USC from the region during this cycle.
Between the 2023 and 2024 classes, the Gamecocks have also offered 35 players from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Comparatively, only 11 players from South Carolina have received offers from those groups as of Thursday, according to 247Sports.
“They’ve recruited guys from New Jersey and Virginia in the past (and) a couple here and there from Maryland and Delaware,” Rivals National Recruiting Analyst/Rankings Director Adam Friedman told The State in June. “There’s a lot of big time players up here and not too many big time programs. South Carolina has a chance to really draw some of those big time players to the South.”
Nelson heads to South Carolina at a position of need heading into the 2022 season. Gone is All-American safety Jaylan Foster. The Gamecocks will also need to fill slots behind cornerbacks Cam Smith, Darius Rush and Marcellas Dial.
Enter the 2022 class.
The Gamecocks went heavy on defense in Beamer’s first full cycle as the head coach — 14 of their 22 high school signees project as defenders at the next level.
Nelson is one piece to the puzzle. So too are three-star safeties Anthony Rose, Peyton Williams, Emory Floyd, Kajuan Banks. Irmo standout Nick Emmanwori is listed as a safety, though he may move to linebacker. South Carolina also landed Central Michigan transfer Devonni Reed, who should immediately fill the void vacated by Foster.
“(I’m) fast moving, definitely not slowing down for anything,” Nelson said of how he’d characterize the game he’s bringing to Columbia. “(I’m) a quick player who wants to make tackles and everything.”
Nelson is planning to join the Gamecocks over the summer. His final few months of high school will entail the usual graduation parties and celebrations sandwiched between workouts that he hopes will prepare him for his first offseason at USC.
Beamer — who was driving back from Georgia when and nearing Lexington when Nelson called him to commit — quipped he almost wrecked he was so excited at the news.
The Philadelphia native never got his shot at the country’s best in San Antonio. Starting this fall, he’s one of a handful of freshman that could see the field early against Southeastern Conference competition.
This time, there won’t be any waiting around in a hotel room.
