Dalton Keene did not waste any time committing to Virginia Tech. The 6-5, 223 pound Chatfield HS (Littleton, CO) product gave his verbal to the Hokies on April 17, a day after mulling over a visit to Nebraska for its spring game.
"It's a huge weight off my chest, just getting it over with," Keene told The Key Play. "I can set my goals towards wherever I'm going. Also, I didn't want to keep the coaches waiting around forever, let them know where I stand."
Between now and next summer when Keene will report to Tech, the 247Sports Composite rated 3-star prospect (4-star 247Sports) is focussed on getting bigger, faster and stronger.
"I just need to keep getting after it in the weight room and putting on some weight," Keene said.
BA DK 335 clean breakin his own record of 330. pic.twitter.com/NBl1r3WUPo— Wes Keene (@keene_wes) February 25, 2016
DK knockin out a 500 squat this AM!! pic.twitter.com/3GhQUw6GNR— Wes Keene (@keene_wes) May 9, 2016
Longstanding family friendships pushed the Hokies ahead of the Cornhuskers and Colorado State.
"I've known two of the coaches, Charlie Wiles and Bud Foster, since I was a baby," Keene said. "They're kind of like family to me. They make Blacksburg feel like home, and I've always grown up liking Virginia Tech, so that was a big part of it. They want me as an H-Back, so I really like that versatility that brings to me."
Dalton's father Wes has Murray State ties to Foster, Wiles and Frank Beamer.
"My dad was roommates with Coach Wiles in college at Murray State," Keene said. "He played under Beamer when Beamer was at Murray State, then Beamer moved to Virginia Tech. So he kind of had the same coaching staff with Foster and everything."
Even though Keene has only visited Blacksburg twice, he favors the city's "big, small town" vibe. He camped at Virginia Tech last June, and that's when Wiles and Foster began recruiting him in earnest. The Hokies offered him following an unofficial visit on February 15 when he had an opportunity to meet another former Racer, Justin Fuente.
"I really like (Fuente)," Keene said. "I think he brings a whole new gear to everyone in that program."
The two had a chance to discuss Fuente's up-tempo offense and how Keene's role as an H-Back fits in the system.
"I love it," Keene said. "It's really similar to the offense we're running right now, so I think I'll fit right in."
"He can bring us in tight and we can be a blocking back, or spread out and be a receiver," Keene added. "Put us in the backfield and hand us the ball."
Keene's versatile skillset fits the requirements of the position well.
Comments
An exciting commit that seems went under the radar.
Looks like he could be a great option for a variety of plays.
Great highlight film! I believe he will be a great Hokie.
I haven't had my coffee yet. I saw 6'5" 200+ and thought "Great! A line commit." Watched the weightroom film. Good numbers so far for a hoss. Some work to do. Watched the game film. Holy shit that's a big boy at the HB and a downright nasty LB. And had some wonderful musical choices on his game highlights.
High school skill position guys squatting 495 is not common, don't let that go unnoticed, the same with that power clean. He's already very strong and doesn't even have the mass of a college football player yet. He's gonna be a physical force.
Yea, what NerdMagic said.
H-Back.
via GIPHY
I'm really keen to see how this kid pans out.
That is some shitty form in the weight room.
That 495# squat doesn't count. He didn't get anywhere close to propper depth,
I would absolutely count it. And form tends to be poor on a one rep max. That's what he has three spotters. The functional depth he went was more than enough to prove he's been working and will still work and that's the point behind that clip. He's a junior in high school for HOAT's sake cut him a smidgeon of slack.
Well that's just not true. He got very close to proper depth, unless you're an ass to grass guy. He was maybe 2 inches away from parallel, and it looks like he was the same distance from hitting the rack.
Granted, his form was shit, but I have never seen anyone do their max with perfect form.
The actual healthy squat depth isn't a set height off the ground, it depends on your body type and height. Going too deep with longer legs can put excess strain on your body that wouldn't necessarily be the case for someone shorter with a different build. Regardless of one rep max form, which is usually somewhat imperfect, getting 495 up on that body is down right impressive.
You're wrong. 100% wrong.
A healthy squat is a squat that goes just bellow parallel.
This is what the bottom of a squat should look like.
I have long, long legs and a short torso. I have no problems hitting the right depth.
Listen, I'm not arguing with basic form, the chart above is what I base my squats off of, but there are absolutely people whose torso shape/back shapes and legs lead them to reaching those angles at different depths off the ground. I'm not saying his squat was good form, but holding every body type to a certain height off the ground is asinine and outdated.
See, I think the problem here is that the line from the back angle is currently in your butt. That's causing you to be a know-it-all at the moment. We picked up a football player, not a weightlifter, and yet there are more comments here regarding the videos of his max reps on 2 lifts than there are on his highlights. How about we just move away from the weightlifting comments and let our current S&C coach, who is now a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach, worry about his lifting.
Lol I knew somebody was going to say this. Yes he is high, and yes he is a little higher than most people realize but it doesn't mean it's not impressive. I worked as a GA under coach Gentry and one of the first things we had to teach by far most kids that came into the program was how to do the major movements properly such as how to squat correctly to depth. If you watched the snapchat videos from before spring practice you will notice that Hilgart has the guys squatting either to depth, or just about an inch or two high if their mobility just isn't there yet. So yes while Keene is about 5-6 inches from actual parallel, (as defined by typical contest standards [ie. the hip crease]) what he is doing is still very impressive and will translate to some serious functional strength down the road.
Anyone else a little concerned with his form in those two weightlifting videos? I mean I know it's friggin heavy, but form over weight, right?
Poor form and too heavy to handle is the norm for nearly every high school football player, and damn near for collegiate players as well.
Then it's a good thing he is coming to college where he can learn to do it right. I mean seriously 2 people one here more worried about how he is lifting weights as opposed to happy for the kid to get to come to VT and play some football.
Who said I wasn't happy? I just don't want the kid to get hurt before he shows up here. Please understand what i'm saying before you assume something.
Or, you know, you could realize it's two videos of one rep max...
....that doesn't change the fact that bad form is just bad form. What are you maxing if you're going to injure yourself? So you really want to herniate your disc just to do one rep huh?
Form over weight? Not for an internets video.
Excited to see what Fuente can do with jumbo athletes. The offensive creativity has got to be off the chart with these kind of athletes he couldnt get at Memphis
Tim Settle is excited to show you what Bud Foster can do with them, in the meantime.
Yeah, we're gonna corner the market on those QuarterH-Endbacks, huh?
One could say that VT now has a Keene eye for them
Honestly, coaches and their players would be better served if they just did away with the clean all together and just focused on squats, deadlifts, and the standing over head press.
Disagree, the power clean is an explosive lift that hits a great deal of the body and stresses, balance, power position and "firing your guns".
Explosiveness is not as trainable as many think. It is more of a genetic trait. At the same time, the power clean requires strength to perform. That strength is developed by squatting and deadlifting. You can more efficiently develop balance those desirable traits with those three lifts than you can by doing shitty powercleaning.
You can train the powerclean all you want, and you're not going to increase the SVJ by much.
And the big thing is that the clean is a highly technical lift. It's not that its hard to learn, but instead it's hard to coach. Most people aren't qualified to teach kids how to properly clean. If I had a dime for every shitty clean performed by highschool and collegiate football players I would be able to buy a nice boat.
The kids are simply better off using their time to learn how to properly squat, deadlilft, and press.
It also says a lot about S&C when people claim their kids are squating 495 when, in fact, they are a good 4 inches above parallel with horrid form.
About half true. What you are talking about are fast twitch and slow twitch muscles that perform different duties and while it is true there is some genetic component to their make up, everyone has slow and fast twitch muscles and you can focus on training them. Sauce: https://www.acefitness.org/blog/5714/slow-twitch-vs-fast-twitch-muscle-f...
While I 100% agree it is hard to teach the power clean, I am going to make the assumption that the school's trainer, a personal trainer, or someone in his life is devoting extra time to this kid's development and is ensuring that he is getting the proper technique to go along with his lifts. When he transitions to college he will have trainers who are having him do the same lifts.
You may not like the powerclean but JC Coleman had a whole spot on twitter about his powerclean last year if I remember correctly. Keene is trying to show he is ready to transition to big boy land.
This guy is also 6' 4". He's covering plenty of distance in his squat to engage the major muscle groups in his legs, maybe not as much of his glutes as he should I concede, but that's how you build strength. I'd be way more concerned with egregious arching of his back as opposed to not hitting parallel. There is nothing unsafe about not hitting parallel but I'm going to still count it.
You don't have a clue as to what you're talking about.
somebody woke up on the wrong side of the
bedcouch? this morningSounds like someone is upset a high school kid is stronger than they are.
You are correct, but as far as the oly lifts go, the snatch has been shown to develop athletic abilities better than the C&J.
You have an awesome username. Have a leg!
The lifts you suggest are great for a classical body building or power regiment but they are not ideal for functional strength and explosive power. If they are done safely, there is nothing wrong with them.
I'm sorry but you don't know what you are talking about.
The whole "functional strength" thing is complete bull shit. BULL SHIT. How is picking up a heavy bar, and deadlifting not fuctional? How is unracking a heavy bar and pressing it over head not functional.
You can't have power without strength. Work on getting your kids strong, first. Worry about the power clean later, unless you know how to coach it.
Okay, last reply with this whole discussion.
You will never in football use either a deadlift or overhead press by itself. They are isolation movements that target a very specific muscle group in the body.
Combination lifts like the powerclean combine muscle groups into action you would find on a football field as in dropping low on a d line man and driving up and through him, effectively creating a more effective block with leverage. If you're saying this kid doesn't have strength, you are blind. This kid is putting things together to squeeze in some more to his workouts.
This will always be an ongoing dialogue in the fitness world. I understand compound lifts are not always as safe as isolation lifts and we want our athletes in padded rooms until we throw them into a brutal game with violent collisions. This kid is showing some serious moxxy and desire and I like that. It is a personal thing and you are free to disagree but before you go saying I don't know what I am talking about, consider that fact that we are likely talking about different things, as internet debates typically go.
Now, I take my leave. Good day.
Lol. Sorry man, you're out of your lane here.
And youve been driving on the wrong side of the road this whole thread. Cool your jets.
I'm pretty sure the S&C staff here can teach this dude the right form, so be glad he chose to come to VT rather than rail on him for two clips of poor form.
Please understand I agree with your mentality on this whole discussion but as a powerlifter it hurts me to hear...
A deadlift is a posterior chain exercise, meaning it uses everything from the bottom of the hamstrings, all the way up to the upper traps when done correctly.
Other than that please carry on.
Agreed! I'm just saying you are using the strength from those lifts and not performing those actual movements. It's rare to see a player deadlift an opponent who is lying prone on the ground.
Deadlifting strengthens the adductors, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, the abs, the traps, parts of the rotator cuff, biceps, forearms, and everything else inbetween. How again is that not relevant to football.
And, if you look carefully, the powerclean is essentially, a deadlift, done fast with a jump, shrug and a catch. It works the exact same group of muscles. Your power clean is a function of your deadlift strength, usually around half.
Look man just stop. Parading around your knowledge of weightlifting makes you look like a tool. Yes lots of people are going to say things on the internet that are incorrect but your identity doesn't need to be wrapped up in trying to prove everybody wrong. The best competitive lifters I know are some of the most humble.
Just be willing to say "hey that kid's pretty strong and is a great addition to the Hokie football team."
PS: If you're using your biceps to move a deadlift you're going to have a bad time (sorry I couldn't help myself).
PS the bicep works in isometric tension under the load and even more so if you use a mixed grip. It's why most bicep tears in the weight room happen while deadlifting.
Here's the thing. I'm not a terribly strong person. I have shitty genetics and I'm older. I have not bragged at all about my strength. All I'm doing is simply spreading information about what I know about weight lifting and strength training (and it's a good bit). It's a discussion board.
Additionally, people see these kids and athletes lifting this way, and assume that it's OK and it's how you train, and it's not. And this dumbassery gets propagated on down the line. For some, all it does is function as a barrier to being stronger and better than they might be. For others it results in injury.
There no damn reason this kid shouldn't be squatting to depth, and frankly, there's no reason why anyone shouldn't be able to squat to depth barring something exceptionally debilitating such as late stage osteoarthritis, or hip or knee prosthetics.
I'm sure there are people out there, reading the comments, who might be glad that they learned something.
There's a way to correct and inform people in a civil manner. Your knowledge of weightlifting could be of use to someone on here, but you've been aggressive and insulting towards those who disagree with you, disparaging their knowledge while exalting your own. That's not the way to correct and inform people.
Notice I said
Most of your muscles and muscle groups are going to be under tension when doing a heavy, free weight, compound movement like a deadlift but that doesn't mean all of those muscles are activated for the purpose of moving the weight. However a supinated style grip does not intrinsically increase one's risk of bicep injury as much as it increases the possible temptation to contract the elbows which will in turn severely increase the risk of bicep injury.
Oh and I hate to be that guy but after making a statement like this I really hope you have the formal education and formal training to back it up. I'm not judging you because I don't know your credentials but I meet so many people who have been lifting for a while, who enjoy reading articles online, and who maybe have a few lifters that they follow on youtube and as a result they consider themselves experts who are qualified to train and teach others. These people scare me.
Correct. Straight arms in the deadlift, clean, and snatch are good. Bending the elbows are bad.
My point was that the deadlift damn near puts everything under stress, which , after a length of recovery, results in an adaptation.
He said supinated...love it! That is fully dipped!
I'm saying it's all about plyometrics. I get all my exercise advice from Kiana Thom.
#sauceswithnopics
I'm a P90x guy myself. Tony Horton is a great trainer when he is on mute. But yea, plyo is no joke and increased my vertical by 5 inches in 90 days. Part of that was having 20 less pounds weighing me down.
Tony is annoying, but P90X is a good workout
GERMAN POTATO SOUP still haunts my nightmares
Tony swims daily in a pool full of P90x recovery drink
Like a pterodactyl backing out of trouble CAW CAW!
I don't care how much or how he lifts weights. I just love the way he makes pancakes.
good lord... wtf did I just read.. that was worse than a TSL chain of shit
I love me some collapse thread action...
You beat me to it.
A real episode, there.
"My dick is bigger than your dick"
I'll thank you to stop looking at my dick.
I own an ab roller and a thigh master, and I'm looking at purchasing a Bowflex
I pick food up a lot and bend my elbow to eat it.
12 oz bicep curls are my primary exercise
I figured you were pretty much confined to the treadmill at all times. So much cardio.
Yeah but there are beer holders. Some people put pringles cans in them but I know what they're really for.
To stay in shape, I run up a bar tab...
what shape? Pear-shaped?
It would appear that my remarks where crass, dick-headish, and unnecessarily abrasive.
My apologies for unnecessarily hijacking this thread.
hey, leg for owning it bro
Another leg for you. Crass is the new Politeness.
Well look at that, such a warm, caring, and forgiving hokie community we have here. Brightens my soul.
But...but...I wanted to
Very nice. Shockwave averted...
So perhaps the Dunning Kruger effect is not always reliable....
Love the film, though it is a little of the man among boys. At that age I may have been able to get on the field to be one of the guys he runs over based on the talent level of some of the opposition. That looks like a very nice to play high school football, shame there is no visiting fans. I can never tell when someone is over-rated because they look good against bad competition, or under-rated because they do not play top level football from film, but if we got him into a camp before we offered I have to think we are getting a steal here.
Welcome, Mr. Keene. You have chosen a great school for academics and athletics. As you can tell from above, players such as you make us excited. You and your fellow Hokie teammates are bound for glory. Keep working. Make it happen for yourselves.