Nebraska football lands commit from Keelan Smith, son of Nebraska legend Neil Smith

Keelan Smith, an athlete targeted to play offense in college, committed Friday to Nebraska as its sixth pledge for the Class of 2024. Smith, 6 feet 3 and 205 pounds out of Liberty (Mo.) North High, is the son of former Nebraska All-American and NFL star Neil Smith. Here’s what you need to know:

Keelan Smith is rated as a three-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite.
Smith picked Nebraska over Missouri and Kansas State, fan favorites in his local Kansas City area.
The Huskers under first-year coach Matt Rhule are making a renewed push into the Kansas City area.

1000% committed!
— Keelan Smith (@KeelanSmith2024) May 5, 2023

Backstory

Smith is the fifth prospect to join the Huskers’ class in the past five weeks and the second high school tight end. Tight end Ian Flynt, also the son of a former Nebraska player, committed out of Katy, Texas, after his visit for the April 22 Red-White game.

Nebraska signed wide receiver Jaidyn Doss in the 2023 class but has struggled in recent years to get traction in the Kansas City area. Notably, five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri of Lee’s Summit, Mo., the No. 4 player nationally, listed Nebraska among his 10 finalists this week. Nwaneri visited Nebraska in March.

Neil Smith’s legacy at Nebraska

Neil Smith is a Nebraska legend. He came to Nebraska in 1984 from New Orleans to play for Tom Osborne and earned first-team All-America recognition as a senior in 1987. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 2 pick in 1988 and spent eight of his 12 NFL seasons in Kansas City. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs inducted him in 2006 into the organization’s Hall of Fame.

Why this is important for the Huskers

The younger Smith caught 50 passes for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior. He’s likely to fit with Nebraska as a hybrid tight end or H-back, similar to the spot that has provided a boost for converted wide receiver Janiran Bonner in this first offseason under Rhule.