Countdown to Kickoff: No. 51 Keaton Bills
The countdown to the beginning of the 2021 season continues and today we preview no. 51, Keaton Bills. Bills started the first four games of 2020 at left guard after redshirting in 2019 with seeing some snaps in three games.
Before coming to Utah, Bills played both sides of the ball in high school at Corner Canyon HS in Utah, earning Deseret News 4A first-team all-state in 2015, as well as Salt Lake Tribune all-state second-team defensive lineman and honorable mention offensive lineman before finding his home on the offensive side for the Utes. Keaton served an LDS mission after signing in 2016.
After initially signing as a defensive lineman, Bills returned from his mission and it didn’t take the 6-foot-4 and 313 pounder to switch to offense. However, after making the switch to the offensive side of the trenches, the staff ordered him the standard braces offensive linemen use to protect their knees. On the same day those were ordered, Bills suffered a knee injury, delaying the start to his college career.
The reason the staff made Bills make the switch was a convincing one. With his measurables and skill set, many see him as a future NFL offensive lineman.
UteNation take
Even before he got on campus, both the offensive and defensive coaches wanted Bills on their line, but his potential on offense eventually won out. The move has so far paid off, as he saw significant time on the offensive line this past season.
Despite starting four games at left guard in 2020, the talent and potential of other guys on the line pushed Bills to the backup spot behind Braeden Daniels in 2021 spring ball. However, as has been obvious over the years, camp depth charts don’t mean much.
With the exception of Luke Felix-Fualalo, every offensive lineman listed on the spring depth chart has at least one start under his belt. We've discussed the talent in the trenches for a long time, but this is arguably the most talented and physically imposing group under line coach Jim Harding where competition for snaps is fierce, and Bills' spot on the depth chart is reflective of that.
Alex remembers Bill’s’ recruitment
A three-star defensive end out of Corner Canyon HS in Draper, Utah, Bills chose Utah over BYU and Stanford. At the time it was a big win for the Utes as they were struggling to keep their local recruits away from Stanford, if they had an offer. While he did strongly consider BYU, the coaching changes at the time put them out of it. Ultimately, Utah was the one school constantly on his mind and he was well aware of their track record with getting defensive linemen into the NFL. His commitment came down to signing day in 2016.