Too good to be true? How one top NC high school football recruit keeps his focus sharp

Sometimes, Clayton High’s Keshawn Stancil seems too good to be true. The junior defensive end, with a 6-foot-3, 260-pound frame that has room to fill out, looks like he could step on a college field tomorrow.

And a high school opponent lining up opposite him surely notices Stancil’s beard.

Clayton’s 4-star prospect opened the season last week shedding double-team blocking and chasing plays run away from him. His three-and-a-half tackles for loss and two sacks — the sacks have him on pace for his goal of 20 this season — helped the Comets open the season with a 36-21 win at Wake Forest.

But over a 48-minute game, some highly touted players might throw up their hands in frustration at double-team blocking or plays run the other way. That’s not Stancil.

“I know if they’re double-teaming me, that helps someone else make play,” Stancil said. “There are other good players on this team.”

And that’s just the on-the-field “too good to be true.”

What about off the field?

He’s the same despite his ego-testing stature with 13 college offers and counting. His list includes NC State, Miami, Florida State and Penn State. Georgia added its weight to his list last week.

“Georgia doesn’t just throw around offers,” noted Clayton head coach Scott Chadwick of the 2021 and 2022 national champions.

Stancil is a manchild who could Cadillac his way through a game and still make plays, but mindset has been, “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

“I know a lot of guys wish they could be in my shoes,” said Stancil, sitting on a bench outside the Clayton fieldhouse earlier this week without the slightest hint of bravado. “That makes me work hard.”

His first offer was last spring of his sophomore season from Wake Forest. NC State and others soon followed.

“I’ve always been an NC State fan,” Stancil said. “That was heartwarming to get an offer from them. That felt good to hear from coach Wiles (Charley Wiles, defensive line coach).”

But there’s more to know about Stancil’s gratitude.

A high school football coach/teacher has plenty on his or her plate without adding fielding phone calls from college coaches across the country. Chadwick, who is in his third year at Clayton, knows it comes with the territory.

He also knows the drill after a two-year stint as the recruiting coordinator at Maryland following his previous head coaching job at Myers Park in Charlotte. Among his former players was Drake Maye, the former North Carolina quarterback who was the third pick of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots.

College recruiters can see the talent of a 4-star prospect on their own. They want to know what kind student is the athlete? What’s his work ethic? How about his teamwork? The added responsibility can weigh down a high school coach.

Stancil seems to intuitively understand this.

“I know Coach Chadwick is a busy guy, and I know there are more guys than me on the team who are being recruited,” Stancil said. “He gave me the rundown on what to expect from recruiters from his time at Maryland. I’ve told him, ‘Thank you, Coach Chadwick. I appreciate you trusting me and knowing I can be a good recruit for a college team in the future.’”

Chadwick says the gratitude is an extension of Stancil’s overall attitude.

“The biggest things about him are his great personality,” Chadwick said. “He always come here excited to be here. He always stops by my office to see how I’m doing. It means a lot to me for kids to understand the hard work I’m putting in for them.”

Clayton plays Stancil at defensive end in a three-man front, but he his college future has options. He has the quickness to play outside and the frame to fill out to also play inside in a 4-3 scheme.

“When schools recruit a defensive lineman, they’re looking for more than just big,” Chadwick said. “They’re looking for guys who are athletic with size. They look at Keshawn and they see a guy at 260 who can do the same thing at 290 or 300. That’s extremely attractive to them.”

The Comets (1-0) are counting on more disruption as they prepare for Holly Springs (0-1) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in their home opener.

Stancil is coming off an all-conference sophomore season. Last year Clayton finished 10-3 overall with a second-place record (6-1) to crosstown rival Cleveland in the Greater Neuse River 4A.

But wait. He might gain an added role this season.

With Stancil’s athleticism, the Comets played him on the hands team when they worried about an onside kick from Wake Forest in the fourth quarter. As a 230-pound freshman on the JV team, the coaches put him at running back and he broke off a long touchdown run.

Chadwick said the coaching staff is considering a two-tight end formation to get Stancil on offense. Every kid wants to score touchdowns, right?

“I know that means they think I can make a play,” Stancil said. “But it doesn’t really matter. I like playing defense. I just want to help the team.”