Utah State announced Friday evening on its Twitter account senior quarterback Chuckie Keeton, who has suffered a pair of season-ending injuries to his left knee, has received a medical hardship waiver and a fifth year of eligibility with the Aggies.
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Keeton broke the news on his personal Twitter account a few minutes earlier:
When healthy, Keeton has been one of the most entertaining players in the country. In his first career start as a true freshman back in 2011, he compiled 246 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in a near upset of then-defending national champion Auburn. As a sophomore – his only season that hasn’t been marred by an injury – he threw for 3,373 yards and 27 touchdowns with only nine interceptions.
But Keeton, a dark horse Heisman contender at the start of the 2013 season, tore the ACL and the MCL in his left knee in a nationally televised game against BYU and missed the rest of the season. He was ruled out for the rest of the 2014 season in the beginning of October after suffering a similar injury to the same knee against Wake Forest. In the last two seasons, Keeton has only played in nine games.
Keeton’s return to the starting lineup isn’t a given, though, as head coach Matt Wells said his recovery may keep him out of the Aggies’ spring camp:
If Keeton can stay healthy for the 2015 season, he will undoubtedly be a major boost for new offensive coordinator Josh Heupel and the Aggie offense. Despite Keeton’s injuries, Utah State is coming off a 10-win campaign under Wells.
And, for fans who are ready to see Keeton back in action, if he reclaims the starting job, the Aggies travel to Pac-12 schools Utah and Washington on back-to-back Saturdays, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19.
