Keelan Smith was the top offensive player in the state of Missouri and a state champion for Liberty North High School and Coach Andy Lierman. The wideout was selected as the 2023 Missouri Football Coaches Association Class 6 Offensive Player of the Year and had more than 2,000 career receiving yards.
Smith helped Liberty to a 13-1 record and a state championship as a senior. In 14 games, Smith caught 74 passes for 1,268 yards and 17 touchdowns. In addition to being the state’s offensive player of the year, Smith was a first-team all-state and all-conference selection. As a first-team all-district selection as a junior, Smith had 50 receptions for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. Smith caught 16 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore.
Smith is regarded as a three-star prospect who is ranked among the nation’s top 35 tight ends in the On3 Industry Ranking. Keelan’s father is Neil Smith, who was a defensive tackle at Nebraska from 1984 to 1987. Neil Smith was a first-team All-American in 1987 who went on to a 13-year NFL career. He played in 191 games with 162 starts and totaled 625 tackles with 104.5 sacks while winning two Super Bowls and earning six Pro Bowl appointments.