Being eager to make a long road trip to a university says something about a recruit – that he’s willing to devote the time and resources required to check out a program he might be interested in one day joining. Often times, recruits bundle campus visits and prospect camps to save travel costs, stopping at several schools during one sweeping cross-country tour. But Keegan Sheedy traveled roughly 711 miles from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Evanston, Illinois in June for one reason: to see Northwestern.
“I made the trip just for Northwestern,” Sheedy said Monday. “I definitely like it.”
While visiting campus, Sheedy took part in a recruiting camp hosted by the Wildcats, in which he worked out in front of coaches, including offensive line coach Adam Cushing, who was impressed by the 2015 offensive tackle and offered some details about Northwestern's recruitment of him.
“He said I’m on their recruiting board – that they’ll be watching me,” Sheedy said. “He said I had a good camp.”
For his Lancaster Catholic high school team, Sheedy plays defensive end and offensive tackle, but schools are recruiting him strictly as an offensive player.
The only disappointing part about Sheedy’s trip was that he was not able to tour Northwestern’s campus, something he hopes to do on a return trip, preferably when classes are in session, this year. Sheedy would like to make a second visit, but said it might have to wait until after the football season so as to not interfere with high school games or practices. But he didn’t rule out undertaking the long trip again on a weekend this fall.
From everything he saw on campus – most of which consisted of football buildings and practice fields – Sheedy was downright impressed. What makes Northwestern stand out, though, according to Sheedy, is its location – “I like the Chicago area,” he said – and its prestigious academics.
“It really seems like a great place,” he said.
He also mentioned his relationship with the coaching staff, in particular his interactions with head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who Sheedy said visited him at his high school in the offseason.
“I thought he was a good guy,” he said.
Still in the early part of his recruitment, Sheedy has already settled on a top-three ranking of schools: 1) Northwestern, 2) Lafayette and 3) Virginia. Sheedy has also heard from Pittsburgh, Boston College (both of whom he has visited) and Bucknell, and says he is not limiting his options to FBS schools.
The zest for Lancaster-to-Evanston-length (approximately 11 hours) travel twice over is something not many recruits, no matter how interested in a particular program, share. Sheedy is clearly hoping to strengthen his relationship with the Wildcats in the coming months, and a second campus visit should help him do exactly that.
Distance will not keep Sheedy from his current top choice.
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The Profile
Position: OT
Stars: unranked
Schools with interest: Boston College, Maryland, Northwestern, Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Penn State
Profiles: Scout, 247
Notes: Has Northwestern on top of his list of schools, wants to make second visit.