2024 (Freshman)
Keelan Smith has played in one game as a true freshman. He made his Nebraska debut against UTEP and caught one pass for four yards.
Before Nebraska (Liberty North HS)
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 was regarded as a three-star prospect who was 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.