Keaton Mitchell

Position:
Running Back
Height:
5-9
Weight:
184
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
McDonough, Ga.
High School:
Eagles Landing Christian
Major:
Sport Studies

CAREER NOTES: Three-year lettermen who started 26 of 33 games … Two-time First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection (2021-22) … ECU’s career leader in rushing yards per game (91.7) and rushing yards per carry (6.54) … Set the program record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (seven in 2022) … Tallied nine 100-yard rushing efforts in 2022 tying an ECU single-season record (Carlester Crumpler ’72) … Ranks third all-time in program history in rushing yards (3,027) and 100-yard rushing contests (15) … Ranks second on the single-season rushing yards chart with 1,452 in 2022 … Owns the fourth longest rush in program history (88 yards vs. Marshall) … First running back since Tay Cooper (2012-13) to rush for 1,000-plus yards in consecutive seasons … Did not have a fumble in 462 career carries … 182 of 463 career runs have gone for five or more yards (61 for 14-plus) ... Caught at least one pass in 25 of 33 career games (multiple 17 times) ... Targeted 80 times making 60 career grabs ... Sixteen of 60 career receptions went for 10 or more yards (seven for 20-plus).

2022: Appeared in 12 games (all starts) as the Pirates primary running back … Became first ECU running back with consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons since Tay Cooper (2012-13) … Earned First-Team All-AAC honors for the second consecutive year – a first by a Pirate since Justin Hardy (2012-14) … Named an Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team All-AAC by Pro Football Focus … First-Team All-AAC pick by Phil Steele Magazine … Earned league weekly honor roll accolades on Oct. 17 … Rushed for a program second-best 1,452 yards on 201 carries … Scored 15 total touchdowns (14/rush, 1/rcv) … Tallied 100-plus yards in a game nine times tying a single-season record (Carlester Crumpler in 1972) … Registered a program-best seven consecutive 100-yard games to close out his collegiate career … Rushed for a career-best 222 yards against Temple (third in the AAC) … Also had 100-yard rushing games against (Old Dominion/160, Campbell/185, Memphis/149, UCF/105, BYU/176, Cincinnati/112, Houston/128 and Coastal Carolina/127) … His 127 ground yards in ECU’s 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl ranks seventh all-time among Pirate running backs in a bowl game … Stood among the FBS leaders (Top 25) in yards per carry (second/7.2), all-purpose yards per game (eighth/153.08), rushing yards per game (10th/121.00), rushing yards (12th), total TDs (15th) and rushing TDs (16th) … Rushed for at least one score in eight contests (multiple four times) … Hauled down a career-best 27 passes for 252 yards (93 ypc) … Caught lone TD pass at Temple (regular season finale) going for 73 yards – longest reception of his career … Returned five kickoffs for 133 yards (27.4 yards per return) with a long of 57 against Coastal Carolina … Established new career-highs in rush attempts (29 vs. Memphis) and receptions (8 vs. Tulane) … Had 15 a career-best 15 runs of five or more yards against Temple … Ranked among the AAC leaders in rushing yards per game (first), rushing yards per carry (first), all-purpose yards per game (second), all-purpose yards (t2nd/1,837), total points (third/94), scoring per game (third/7.83), total scoring (seventh/94) and total scoring per game (seventh/783) … Tied for conference lead with nine 100-yard rushing contests in 2022 (tied for ECU single-season program with Carlester Crumpler in 1972) … Tied for the single-game lead in The American in total points scored (24) and total touchdowns (4; 3/rush, 1/rcv) against Temple … Ran for three TDs in a game against Temple and Memphis – both standing second in the AAC in a single-game … Ran for a season-long 81 yards against Old Dominion (second amongst all AAC rushers) … Tallied 300 all-purpose yards against Temple (second-most in a game by an AAC player) … Named to the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker and Maxwell Awards … Tabbed a Preseason First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele’s Football Preview … Named Pro Football Network (PFN) College Football Honorable Mention All-American.

2021: Started all 12 games on his way to First-Team All-AAC honors … Led the league in total rushing yards (1,132) and all-purpose yards per game (115.83) … Ranked among the league leaders in four other categories including rushing yards per game (second/94.33) … Became the 17th 1,000-yard rusher in program history (first since Tay Cooper in 2013) on his 23-yard run against Navy in the first quarter … Owns the 10th-best single-season rushing mark in program history (1,132 yards) … Tallied four 100-yard rushing games on the season which included a career-best 222 against Tulane, setting a single-game record for an ECU freshman running back (true or redshirt) … Caught 22 passes out of the backfield for 253 yards with one score … Registered 17 plays of 20 or more yards (eight resulting in a TD) … Second Pirate running back to earn first-team all-league honors behind Harris (2020 AAC Co-Rookie-of-the-Year) … Stood among the national leaders (Top 50) in rush yards per carry (ninth/6.51), rushing yards per game (32nd), rushing yards (33rd) and all-purpose yards (45th) … Led the team in all-purpose yards four times (129/Appalachian State, 170/Marshall, 222/Tulane, 146/Temple) ... Scored 10 touchdown on the year to lead the team (one rec, nine rushing) ... Rushed for 100-plus yards four times (135/Marshall, 125/Charleston Southern, 222/Tulane, 146/Temple) … Career-long run of 88 yards resulted in a touchdown at Marshall which is tied for the fourth longest run in program history ... Added touchdown runs against Charleston Southern (74 yds), Tulane (68 & 30 yds), South Florida (25 yds), Temple (57 & 4 yds), Memphis (24 yds) and Navy (10 yds) ... Caught career-long 63-yard pass for a touchdown vs. Appalachian State … Hauled down career-best five passes for a career-high 79 yards against the Mountaineers.

2020: Started two of nine games played as a true freshman ... Made collegiate debut vs. No. 13 UCF rushing for 66 yards on eight carries … Rushed for 100-plus yards in a game twice (124/Cincinnati, 103/Memphis) ... Scored first career TD (18 yards) in the second quarter at Cincinnati ... Thirty-five of 88 runs went for five or more yards (11 for 14-plus) ... Established career-high in carries (20) vs. SMU in the season finale ... Ran for a career-best 124 yards at No. 7 Cincinnati ... Had career-long run of 34 yards in the second quarter at Temple ... Reeled in a career-long pass of 26 yards (2Q) at Cincinnati... Four of 17 rushes at Cincinnati went for 14 or more yards ... Caught at least one pass in eight of nine games (multiple three times) ... Hauled down a pair of receptions against UCF (18 yards) and Tulsa (9 yards) ... Fifty of his 66 ground yards came in the fourth quarter vs. UCF ... Targeted 12 times making 11 grabs (three resulting in an ECU first down) ... Three of 11 receptions went for 10 or more yards (one for 20-plus).

High School: Played integral role guiding Eagles Landing Christian to four-straight Georgia Class A Private championships and a combined 54-2 overall record (27-1 region) during career … Prep coach was Jonathan Gess … Rushed for a combined 4,347 yards (155.3 ypg) and 88 touchdowns as a full-time starter during junior and senior years … Led the Chargers (13-1, 6-1) to the 2019 state title with 192 yards and four TDs during a 33-13 victory over Wesleyan Christian on Dec. 13 which followed playoff victories vs. Prince Avenue Christian (62-57), Athens Academy (28-10) and Holy Innocents Episcopal (21-7) … In all, ran for 1,838 yards and 39 scores on 192 carries – an average of 8.7 per attempt – as a senior … Named Class A Region 5 Player-of-the-Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Eclipsed the 100-yard mark on 10 occasions and scored two or more rushing TDs in 12 of 14 contests … Turned in a season-best 226 yards on 22 carries vs. Prince Avenue Christian in playoff opener … Had nine receptions for 162 yards and one TD … Racked up a total of 2,672 all-purpose yards (13-527 on kickoff returns, 7-145 on punt returns), which included 354 and five touchdowns during a regular season meeting against Holy Innocents Episcopal … Rushed for 2,509 yards (213 carries) and 49 TDs as a junior in 2018 … His touchdown total was the second-highest single-season mark in state history (per the Georgia High School Football Historians Association), only ranking behind 58 by Emanuel County's Washaun Ealey in 2007 but ahead of 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker's 45 … Key member of the offensive unit that guided the Chargers to a 13-1 overall ledger and a perfect 7-0 region mark … ELCHS downed Athens Academy 44-17 to claim the state championship in 2018 … Made starting debut with 149 rushing yards and 4 TDs vs. Morrow before going on to gain over 200 yards in six of 14 games as a junior, highlighted by a 16-carry, 311-yard, 4-TD performance vs. Wesleyan Christian … Averaged 32.5 yards per rush vs. Our Lady of Mercy (130 yards on four attempts) and accounted for seven ground scores vs. Landmark Christian … Tallied at least two TDs in 13 of 14 outings (three-plus on 11 occasions) … Averaged 11.8 yards per run to earn 2018 Offensive Player-of-the-Year honors (Class A Private classification) from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was also named to the AJC's Southside All-Metro squad … Accounted for 2,544 all-purpose yards … Rushed for 979 yards and 20 touchdowns on 94 carries during sophomore season … Helped cap Eagles Landing Christian’s perfect 14-0 campaign with a 41-3 triumph over Athens Academy in the state title clash … Had 37 attempts for 368 yards and six TDs as a freshman in 2016 … Came off the bench to help Chargers to a state championship (defeating Fellowship Christian 27-24) to successfully wrap up a 14-0 year … Earned three stars from 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com … Also listed as the 26-best all-purpose back nationally per 247Sports.com … Reportedly timed (manually) at 4.3 in the 40-yard dash … Clocked at 10.99 in 100-meter dash, 22.42 in the 200 and was a key member of the Chargers’ 4x100 meter relay team that set a school record … Also received offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Nebraska, USF, Temple and West Virginia.

Personal: Father Anthony starred at Westlake High School before playing collegiately at Tuskegee and earning a roster spot with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2000 (was a reserve during the Ravens' run to the Super Bowl championship) … Anthony entered the spotlight when he scooped up a blocked Al Del Greco field goal attempt and returned it 90 yards for a TD to break a 10-10 tie with the Tennessee Titans in a divisional playoff game that sparked a 24-10 win and paved the way to a NFL title … In all, father played eight seasons in the NFL and now serves on the Eagles Landing Christian coaching staff ... Majoring in sports studies.