UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 51 Keaton Bills

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Published Jul 11, 2023

UteNation Countdown to Kickoff: No. 51 Keaton Bills

Sean Davenport • UteNation

Ute Nation

@SeanDavenport

Keaton Bills is featured at no. 51 in today’s UteNation countdown to kickoff with 51 days until Utah opens the season against the Florida Gators in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Bills has been a cornerstone of the interior offensive line for the past few seasons, logging 25 starts at left guard in his 33 appearances. The 2022 All-Pac-12 honorable mention’s health will be key for the 2023 campaign, as he has battled some smaller nagging injuries at various points in his career.

Quarterback Cam Rising unquestionably earned the MVP of the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game, but it can be argued that Bills was just as valuable. He headlines a stacked offensive line group.

UteNation Take

Bills’ development is a great example of the Utah coaching staff’s player development, taking an athletic defensive lineman and turning him into an all-conference level offensive lineman. Bills was talented enough on both sides of the ball that both offense and defense wanted him, but Jim Harding and co. won out, believing he has an NFL future.

Even though he has been a fixture at left guard for a while now, Bills’ ability to take the next step could be big for the Utah offense in 2023. The junior had some really dominant moments in 2022, and if he can consistently be a force this season, it could be a big help to the Utes in their attempt at a Pac-12 three-peat. Championships tend to be built in the trenches and a healthy offensive line will be needed in what should be another competitive conference season.

Remembering Bills’ 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.