Temple recruit Keshaun Jones getting bigger, expects to play offensive tackle
At 6-foot-5 and 280-pounds, Jones also played on the defensive line at Centralia High School in Illinois. But the Owls recruited him as an offensive tackle.
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After offensive tackle Keshaun Jones made an oral commitment to Temple over the weekend, his head coach, Brad Goewey of Centralia (Ill.) High School, said the Owls are getting someone with great potential.
“He is a big guy and a good human being,” said Goewey in a phone interview. “He certainly has a lot of potential to grow.”
Actually, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Jones, who announced his choice on Twitter, has been growing by spending extra time in the weight room.
“Sometimes I will go in there twice a day,” Jones said in a phone interview.
Jones plays right tackle in high school, but says that he could be a left tackle at Temple. Either way, he will likely play outside on the offensive line. He also is a defensive lineman but was recruited by the Owls for offense.
Jones said he had about 11 offers, and Kent State and Florida International were among the other schools he was considering. He said he developed a good rapport with head coach Rod Carey and offensive line coach Joe Tripodi during the recruiting process.
“Coach Carey and Coach Tripodi were great and the other thing is that I just love the way Temple plays,” he said.
He was referring to the Owls’ physical approach, which suits him fine.
Goewey, who is a first-year head coach after being the defensive coordinator the previous 13 years, said Jones’ biggest strength is his physical strength.
“He has really put in the time to get stronger and it shows,” Goewey said.
Because of the pandemic, Jones hasn’t been able to visit Temple, but he did participate in the football team’s virtual junior day.
He feels his high school team, which went 3-6 last season, should be improved this year and then he has one simple mindset when arriving at Temple.
“I will give it all I have,” he said. “I am ready to compete.”
Parsons, Maijeh on Bednarik Award watch list
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons and Temple defensive tackle Ifeanyi Maijeh have been named to the watch list for the Maxwell Club’s Bednarik Award, which is presented to the nation’s outstanding defensive college football player.
Parsons, a junior, was a consensus All-American last season and was named linebacker of the year in the Big Ten. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award given to the nation’s top linebacker.
Maijeh, a redshirt junior, earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors last season after establishing career highs with 10 tackles for losses and 6 ½ sacks.
Staff writer Joe Juliano contributed to this report.