Utah State's Chuckie Keeton Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award

Utah State [University] redshirt senior quarterback Chuckie Keeton has been named a candidate for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award, an honor that recognizes student-athletes who excel both on and off the field.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

Keeton, who is very active in the community, is one of 30 candidates for the award. Of the candidates, 14 have grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher, including five who maintain above a 3.5. Three are returning All-Americans and 18 were all-conference selections in 2014.

An acronym for “Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School,” the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Previously, Keeton was tabbed to the Mountain West preseason all-conference first team, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List, Maxwell Award Watch List, Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, Davey O’Brien Award Watch List and College Football Performance Awards National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List. He is an Athlon Sports first-team all-Mountain West and Phil Steele third-team all-Mountain West selection, as well.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound native of Houston, Texas, was one of 22 football players to be honored at halftime of the 2015 Sugar Bowl as a member of the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Keeton currently ranks first all-time in school history in career completion percentage (.647), passing efficiency (142.4) and interception percentage (0.020) as he has thrown just 18 interceptions in 902 pass attempts. He is also second in career touchdown passes (58) and career completions (584).

Prior to the 2015 campaign, Keeton had played in just nine games during the last two seasons, including the first three games of the 2014 campaign before reinjuring his surgically repaired knee that he originally hurt in the sixth game of the 2013 season. A year ago, Keeton was 51-of-92 passing for 426 yards (142.0 ypg) and two touchdowns, to go along with four interceptions. He also rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries (4.1ypc).

As a sophomore in 2012, Keeton earned first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors after ranking 17th nationally in total offense (307.1 ypg), 18th in passing efficiency (154.7) and 29th in passing (259.5 ypg). During the 2012 season, Keeton set single-season school records for touchdown passes (27), passing yards (3,373), completions (275), completion percentage (.676) and total offense (3,992 yards), while tying the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 121 yards at Louisiana Tech.

The 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. Voting ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will then select one candidate that best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the football bowl season in early January.

Utah State (1-0) hits the road for the first time this season when it plays at Utah (1-0) on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN. The Aggies are 29-78-4 all-time against the Utes, including a 17-53-4 mark on the road.

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