Keelan Anderson made national headlines when he nailed a Wyoming state record and nationwide best 61-yard field goal Sept. 22 for Cheyenne South High School in a 49-9 loss to Natrona County.
Now Cowboy State fans will get to see a lot more of Anderson, who has committed to kick for the University of Wyoming as a preferred walk-on.
Anderson was among 26 commitments UW Athletics announced on the first day of the early signing period for college football.
Other Wyoming high school standouts who will be UW Cowboys next year include:
Alex Haswell, the unanimous selection this past season as the state’s Class 4A Lineman of the Year, helping his Sheridan Broncs win their third consecutive state championship. He was a first-team choice as both an offensive and defensive lineman.
Drew Jackson, a defensive back for Cheyenne East High School. Playing both ways, he was a first-team Class 4A all-state running back and defensive back.
Tegen Seeds, another standout offensive lineman, who was a first-team all-state selection for Douglas High School.
Full Circle
Although Anderson didn’t get the spotlight others do playing for teams that compete for or win state championships — Cheyenne South finished dead last in Class 4A last season with an 0-9 record — his 61-yard field goal cemented his status as one of the top high school kickers in the nation.
To put the Anderson’s monumental kick in perspective, it broke the previous state record by 4 yards — a record that stood for nearly 41 years when David Browning of Natrona County kicked a 57-yarder on Oct. 22, 1982.
And 61-yard field goals are something to treasure, even for professionals. Only a handful of NFL kickers have kicked one longer. The record is 66 yards by Baltimore’s Justin Tucker set in 2021.
Afterward, Anderson told Cowboy State Daily that he’s not intimidated by attempting seemingly impossible kicks.
Asked if he’s ever told his coach he doesn’t think he has it in him to make a kick, his answer is a simple, “no. Every field goal, he’ll look at me and ask, ‘You want this?’ There was never a time when I didn’t answer ‘yes.’”
Born To Be A Cowboy’
In the wake of his record kick, along with an impressive track record of nailing 40-plus-yard field goals that would make an NFL kicker proud, Anderson told Cowboy State Daily that he got some interest from colleges.
Anderson’s received some scholarship offers from smaller schools like Black Hills State and Montana Tech, but still hopes that a Division I football program will show him some interest. He did an official visit to the University of Wyoming, but no scholarship offer was forthcoming.
But it’s apparent the Cowboys wanted the home-grown talent and offered him as a preferred walk-on, where he’ll kick behind UW veteran John Hoyland, who will be a senior next season.
And kicking in Laramie’s War Memorial Stadium, at 7,220 feet above sea level the highest FBS stadium in the nation, Anderson may have plenty of chances to bomb monster field goals for the Brown and Gold.
