Pair commits to Kansas football

By Matt Tait     Jun 19, 2011

The Kansas University football program picked up a pair of commitments from the Class of 2012 on Saturday.

One came from the top offensive lineman in the state and the other in the form of a player from Camden, Ark., whom many say could be a big-time sleeper.

Brian Beckmann, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound tackle from Blue Valley West High, was the first to orally commit to Kansas on Saturday. He’s ranked by Rivals.com as the top offensive lineman in the state.

KU assistant Reggie Mitchell was the lead recruiter for Beckmann and offensive line coach J.B. Grimes also added to the effort.

“Coach Mitchell has always been great with us,” Beckmann told Rivals.com. “He made sure we were always taken care of. I liked working with coach Grimes. I felt really comfortable around him.”

Beckmann chose KU over an offer from Kansas State. Alabama, Duke, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma and Wisconsin also showed interest.

Derek Keaton, a 5-10, 165-pound burner from Fairview High in Camden, Ark., also was in town this weekend. After an impressive showing Friday night, the Jayhawks offered Keaton a scholarship Saturday morning. He committed immediately.

Keaton, who has been clocked in the 4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash, worked out at both wide receiver and defensive back. Keaton had offers from Mississippi and Missouri State. He was scheduled to attend Arkansas’ Elite Camp later this summer but told Rivals.com on Saturday that he would not.

“I was going to go but I am not now,” Keaton said. “I am committed to Kansas and I am excited about it.”

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.