Four-Star DE Keeshawn Silver Ranked as Top 10 Edge Prospect in the Class of 2021
In March, Rocky Mount defensive end, Keeshawn Silver, officially announced that he verbally commits to Mack Brown and the Tar Heels. Silver is rated as a 5-star prospect and 10th in the nation by ESPN.
Along with UNC, Silver listed Oregon, Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Florida as his top 7 choices. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound lineman is now a part of North Carolina football's highest recruiting class in years.
Silver is just one of four of UNC's defensive end/outside linebacker 2021 class. He joins outside linebacker Raneiria Dillworth, defensive end Jahvaree Ritzie, and recently committed, and flipped, outside linebacker Trevion Stevenson.
Silver is striving for a Carolina legacy only done by 14 previous players such as Julius Peppers, Ronald Curry, Ed Sutton, Jesse Holly, and Greg Little during North Carolina's ACC era, playing football and basketball. The Rocky Mount native hinted on twitter that he would be a walk-on for Coach Roy Williams.
Silver has played both sports high school career. In basketball, he averaged, 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and .5 assists for three years; football, he recorded 48 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks and one fumble recovery during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Along with being an SI All-American candidate, Silver, is listed as a a top 10 edge prospect in the class of 2021.
John Garcia, Director of Recruiting for SI All-American, breaks down Silver's game by frame, athleticism, instincts, and polish.
The top 10 includes:
1. JT Tuimoloau, Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic
2. Jack Sawyer, Pickerington (Ohio) North Pickerington
3. Demeioun Robinson, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard
4. Dylan Brooks, Roanoke (Ala.) Handley
5. Keeshawn Silver, Rocky Mount (N.C.) Rocky Mount Senior
6. Elijah Jeudy, Philadelphia (Pa.) Northeast
7. Jeremiah Williams, Birmingham (Ala.) Ramsay
8. Quintin Somerville, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro
9. Dallas Turner, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
10. Zaire Patterson, Winston-Salem (N.C.) Preparatory Academy
Silver's Breakdown:
5. Keeshawn Silver, Rocky Mount (N.C.) Rocky Mount Senior
6-foot-5, 255 pounds
Committed to North Carolina
The first thing that jumps out about Silver is his frame, as he has the size of a prospect who could kick inside at some point in his college career. With his thick frame, the North Carolina pledge has experience playing inside as a 1-technique, as well as some 4i, 5-technique and 7-technique on both the left and right edges. Silver can alter speed to power, a bull rush, a quick chop and a 2-hand swipe among his pass-rush toolbox. He’s also alert and aware to get his mitts up to disrupt throwing lanes. Aside from his effectiveness crashing to passers, Silver’s size allows him to set edges and he’s tough at the point. The future Tar Heel can come to balance in space, before quickly closing and finishing. We feel he could blossom into a star in Chapel Hill.
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