Tag: Southeast Raleigh

RALEIGH

Southeast Raleigh High’s football players emerged from their locker room into a hallway while headed for practice earlier this season. They were typical teenagers — fixated on their own chatter, oblivious to an adult stranger.

Except for Keysaun Eleazar.

The Bulldogs’ 6-foot-6, 210-pound defensive end walked, helmet in hand, with a welcoming countenance above the crowd — literally and figuratively.

“Hi, how are you?” said Eleazor, nodding to greet the otherwise invisible visitor.

The Stanford-bound recruit’s nature will serve him well as he embarks on a college career path necessitating a bedside manner. He enrolls in January as a human biology major with a pre-medicine track.

“I would say that comes from my mom (Dominique Eason),” Eleazar said. “She taught me to respect everybody no matter if I know them or not and to welcome everyone.”

Southeast Raleigh opponents will beg to differ on the welcoming part. To them, Eleazar’s greetings are shedding blockers, making tackles and chasing down quarterbacks.

That Keysaun Eleazar isn’t so pleasant.

Big player, big play

Southeast Raleigh is coming off a 22-19 upset of Clayton last week in a Greater Neuse River Conference game. The Comets (5-2, 2-1 GNR) entered the contest ranked No. 8 in the state 7A poll and with four straight wins over the Bulldogs (5-2, 2-1 GNR) by a combined score of 123-43.

With the signature victory in head coach Edwin Campbell’s fifth year of rebuilding the program, the Bulldogs (5-2, 2-1 GNR) seek their third straight victory at 7 p.m. Friday at Smithfield-Selma (1-6, 0-3 GNR).

Eleazar added to his big-play resume against Clayton with a turning-point interception. The Bulldogs trailed 13-9 early in the third quarter as the defense lined up with a formation calling for Eleazar to rush the quarterback.

But from film study, Eleazar read a screen pass to his side. He dropped back in coverage as the running back drifted outside and curled inside. As the pass was delivered, Eleazar popped out from behind a blocker for the interception.

“I wanted to run it back for a touchdown, but the offensive lineman was right on me,” Eleazar said.

The Bulldogs took possession and mounted a 10-play, 62-yard touchdown drive for a 15-13 lead with 4:52 remaining in the third period.

The interception was Eleazar’s first, but Campbell said he has seen his Eleazar disrupt such plays many times.

“In practice, our offense can’t get any work done on a screen play to his side,” Campbell said. “He breaks up the play every time.”

Eleazar’s breakout junior year led to a senior season facing double-team blocking and plays run away from him. But rather than growing frustrated with schemes targeting him, he doubled down on techniques, fundamentals and film study.

“I like that challenge,” he said. “It shows they respect me. Garner put four guys on me, but I still made the tackle. To me, they’re making my film better.”

Finding Stanford

Eleazar’s junior season success was despite missing most of his sophomore year with a labrum injury. As his offers list grew into the 30s, Campbell suggested Eleazar draw up a check list of his priorities ranking academics, football program, schemes, et al.

“I put together a google slide list,” Eleazar said. “Originally Stanford wasn’t on my list or when I narrowed it to a top five.”

But since academics were at the top of his priorities and distance wasn’t a concern, he listened when contacted by Stanford general manager Andrew Luck. The Stanford All-American quarterback and the 2011 Maxwell Award winner — the other Heisman Trophy — and four-time NFL Pro Bowler took on the GM role in 2024.

Luck made an impression on Eleazar and that kept Stanford in the picture, even after Luck suddenly fired Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor on March 25 for allegations of bullying staff members. Stanford hired Frank Reich on March 31 as its interim head coach.

Eleazar said Reich’s interim tag didn’t dissuade him because Luck’s presence was the foundation of his interest. He’s confident the GM is committed to his alma mater located San Francisco’s Bay Area. Eleazar made an official visit on May 15 and weighed his options until announcing his commitment on July 1.

He carries a 4.3 grade-point average, and Campbell added, he is “a member of multiple honor societies and programs our school offers. You name it, he’s in it.”

Roots in Raleigh

Eleazar’s road to Stanford took root in Raleigh, even though he was virtually new to The Triangle as an eighth grader at West Millbrook Middle. He had moved with his mother and sisters a couple of times during his elementary and middle school years between Raleigh and Camden, New Jersey.

But one year was enough for his athleticism to attract attention.

“I had a lot of coaches in my ear after middle school about going to their school and later I still heard from coaches about transferring,” Eleazar said. “But when I sat down with Coach Campbell, he showed me his plan for the program. I believed in Coach Campbell. I came here to change the culture of the school and the football program. That’s the direction we’ve been going since my freshman year.”

He explained added inspiration to make a difference stemmed from examples of two uncles in Camden who attended Woodrow Wilson High (renamed Eastside in 2022).

“Raleigh is easy compared to Camden,” he said, shaking his head at Camden’s grittier streets. “But my uncles were able to make a difference at their school. I wanted to make a difference at the school I attend and in the community.”

Recruiters have noticed. In addition to Eleazar, quarterback Tydreke Powell is bound for Gardner-Webb and linebacker Robert McCullough for Campbell. Junior running back Christman Freeman, who committed early to N.C. State, is among the underclassmen attracting scholarship offers.

“We’ve made a big jump this year,” Eleazar said. “Now we’ve got recruiters coming out to see us. Guys used to get overlooked. Football provides a positive for the community. We’ve got more people coming to our games. We’ve got more people donating to our program.”

It helps when the Big Man on Campus welcomes everyone — other than opponents, that is.