Keanon McNally was good on the phone, so instead of writing a story, here's the full interview. He plays for Kearney High School just outside Kansas City in
What were the main reasons you committed today, and when did Tulane start recruiting you?
"I went down there on (July) 25th and Tulane contacted me about a week before that. It was a super-quick turnaround. That week before they gave me a call, and it was something I really wanted to take up, so I got the flight down there and was able to make it down there in like a week. I got the offer on that Sunday I was down there for the visit. The things that stuck out were honestly just the high level of education and how good of a football program it is to go along with it. It was an opportunity that I just didn't want to miss out on. They obviously weren't taking as many players with COVID and everything (the result of having players return for extra seasons that would not have been available otherwise), so the timeline was very short for me to decide if I wanted to take it or not. I decided that it felt right and that's what I wanted to do."
You are listed as visiting Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska but without scholarship offers from any of them. Is that accurate?
"None of those were scholarship offers. They were all just camps. Nebraska was an individual workout. The three offers I held other than Tulane were Eastern Michigan, Wyoming and South Dakota."
Who was the coach that first contacted you from Tulane?
"Coach Wes Fritz hit me up on twitter, he said something to me, and (offensive line) coach (Chris) Watt actually called me. He told me that they wanted to get me down there and coming down there would be super beneficial and it was very likely I would get an offer if I came down there. Once I heard that, I knew that getting down there was a priority, and we made it happen."
You are the first offensive lineman in this commitment class. What did they say they liked the best about you?
"They just told me they loved my film. Luckily I was able to put together a decent film, and they told me they loved my size and how I moved with the size that I am. It's not too terribly common to have this size and movement."
You are listed at 6-10. Are you 6-10?
""At just about every camp I went to I measured at 6-9, so obviously cleats, roster height, everybody puts that (extra inch). I am accurately 6-9."
How much has that helped you as a football player?
"As a football player obviously being huge is always a good thing and it always helps to be a dominant force. Size in general, especially at the tackle position, wingspan is a big thing and having to cover up so much area, I use my length to an advantage and just being a dominant force when you're this size."
Did you have a big growth spurt at some point or were you always tall for your age?
"I never really had that one big growth spurt. It was kind of just consistent from the get-go. I was always just about a head taller than everybody, and then about sixth, seventh and eighth grade, everybody kind of hit their growth spurts, so I wasn't way taller than everybody, but I've always been the tallest by class."
I just checked, and Tulane has not signed anyone taller than 6-8 in the Rivals era. Your thoughts?
"That's actually pretty awesome."
When did you first start in high school, and how well did you do as a junior?
"I actually didn't get the starting spot on my high school team until about week 3 or week 4. I had a senior ahead of me, so I had a lot to prove throughout practice. I eventually earned my way to the starting spot and took advantage of it ever since, and I maintained it throughout the season. Luckily, my very first start was not a terribly hard game, so it gave me the adrenaline I wanted going into the next game to just keep it rolling. I think I put together a decent junior year that got me to where I am now, but I've improved greatly over the very first start to now."
I assume you are easily the tallest player on your team, and did you play basketball, too.
"Yeah. We have another tackle, a sophomore, and he's about 6-6 and is going to be good, too. I do play basketball for the high school team and I play AAU. That's the only other sport I do. I'm dominant in the post. I'm not a 3-point shooting guy."
What were your impressions of Chip Long?
"I loved him. They were all super cool to me and a big reason why I decided to commit so soon. It was great to get to know them so quickly. I didn't really get a chance to build a relationship with any of those coaches before I came down there obviously, so just getting down there and immediately connecting despite not having that pre-built relationship you usually have when you're going somewhere, they were really all good to me and I liked them all."
Was there a game last year where you really felt like you came into your own?
"Honestly I probably want to say that first game because it wasn't something I exactly planned on. It wasn't really decided until I'd say a day or two before. That first game I just kind of had that initial adrenaline going and just had a really good game."
Going into last year, could you have envisioned yourself being in this position now?
"Oh, absolutely not, not even in the slightest. I'm going to be real. If you would have asked me before the season what I wanted to do, I would have told you basketball, but after my junior season started, I fell in love with it (football). At the end of the season is when I really realized it's what I wanted to do, so I took my season highlights, threw it up on twitter and now I'm where i am."
Where can you improve the most as as senior?
"Honestly just skill work. I feel like I have most of the leadership and all the stuff that goes into it, but it's just the actual skill, just getting better honestly. I know as a senior my best football is ahead of me and it will be a great season."
What type of season did your team have last year?
"We had a very young team. We have a lot of starting juniors and sophomores that are now going to be juniors this upcoming season. We went 5-5 last year, which is not exactly what we wanted, but with a your core of returning starters it's going to be a good season."
What is your best strength on the field?
"I'd just say leadership honestly. It's just what I do for my team. It's my best attribute."
Had you ever visited New Orleans before your visit?
"No, not at all. Probably the closest I've ever been was Florida, and when I got down there, I loved it. It was awesome. I had a great time. I was only there for like 36 hours, but we did a lot and got a lot done and I fell in love with the city. We went on a swamp tour. We stayed like two blocks from Bourbon Street, so we got the Bourbon Street experience. I got to eat some great food down there, and the very next day we were out to Tulane and had the visit to Tulane and we were on a plane by 6 p.m. that night going back to Kansas City. It was a very quick experience, but it was a great one."
Tulane has made three straight bowl games under Willie Fritz. Were you sold on how good the program is?
"Willie obviously coached in Missouri for quite some time, so there's a lot of connections. I know that he has all the accolades to prove he's a great coach, and the three straight bowl games speak for themselves."
Missouri is not in Tulane's typical recruiting area. What does that say about Tulane wanting you?
"It is really cool because there's not a lot of connection other than Willie Fritz to the Missouri area. I don't think there's really any other recruits from Missouri, so it's definitely cool to know there was a little extra done for me to get down there."
Is your recruiting definitely done?
"I'm a 100-percent set. I'm not going anywhere."
What were the main reasons you committed today, and when did Tulane start recruiting you?
"I went down there on (July) 25th and Tulane contacted me about a week before that. It was a super-quick turnaround. That week before they gave me a call, and it was something I really wanted to take up, so I got the flight down there and was able to make it down there in like a week. I got the offer on that Sunday I was down there for the visit. The things that stuck out were honestly just the high level of education and how good of a football program it is to go along with it. It was an opportunity that I just didn't want to miss out on. They obviously weren't taking as many players with COVID and everything (the result of having players return for extra seasons that would not have been available otherwise), so the timeline was very short for me to decide if I wanted to take it or not. I decided that it felt right and that's what I wanted to do."
You are listed as visiting Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska but without scholarship offers from any of them. Is that accurate?
"None of those were scholarship offers. They were all just camps. Nebraska was an individual workout. The three offers I held other than Tulane were Eastern Michigan, Wyoming and South Dakota."
Who was the coach that first contacted you from Tulane?
"Coach Wes Fritz hit me up on twitter, he said something to me, and (offensive line) coach (Chris) Watt actually called me. He told me that they wanted to get me down there and coming down there would be super beneficial and it was very likely I would get an offer if I came down there. Once I heard that, I knew that getting down there was a priority, and we made it happen."
You are the first offensive lineman in this commitment class. What did they say they liked the best about you?
"They just told me they loved my film. Luckily I was able to put together a decent film, and they told me they loved my size and how I moved with the size that I am. It's not too terribly common to have this size and movement."
You are listed at 6-10. Are you 6-10?
""At just about every camp I went to I measured at 6-9, so obviously cleats, roster height, everybody puts that (extra inch). I am accurately 6-9."
How much has that helped you as a football player?
"As a football player obviously being huge is always a good thing and it always helps to be a dominant force. Size in general, especially at the tackle position, wingspan is a big thing and having to cover up so much area, I use my length to an advantage and just being a dominant force when you're this size."
Did you have a big growth spurt at some point or were you always tall for your age?
"I never really had that one big growth spurt. It was kind of just consistent from the get-go. I was always just about a head taller than everybody, and then about sixth, seventh and eighth grade, everybody kind of hit their growth spurts, so I wasn't way taller than everybody, but I've always been the tallest by class."
I just checked, and Tulane has not signed anyone taller than 6-8 in the Rivals era. Your thoughts?
"That's actually pretty awesome."
When did you first start in high school, and how well did you do as a junior?
"I actually didn't get the starting spot on my high school team until about week 3 or week 4. I had a senior ahead of me, so I had a lot to prove throughout practice. I eventually earned my way to the starting spot and took advantage of it ever since, and I maintained it throughout the season. Luckily, my very first start was not a terribly hard game, so it gave me the adrenaline I wanted going into the next game to just keep it rolling. I think I put together a decent junior year that got me to where I am now, but I've improved greatly over the very first start to now."
I assume you are easily the tallest player on your team, and did you play basketball, too.
"Yeah. We have another tackle, a sophomore, and he's about 6-6 and is going to be good, too. I do play basketball for the high school team and I play AAU. That's the only other sport I do. I'm dominant in the post. I'm not a 3-point shooting guy."
What were your impressions of Chip Long?
"I loved him. They were all super cool to me and a big reason why I decided to commit so soon. It was great to get to know them so quickly. I didn't really get a chance to build a relationship with any of those coaches before I came down there obviously, so just getting down there and immediately connecting despite not having that pre-built relationship you usually have when you're going somewhere, they were really all good to me and I liked them all."
Was there a game last year where you really felt like you came into your own?
"Honestly I probably want to say that first game because it wasn't something I exactly planned on. It wasn't really decided until I'd say a day or two before. That first game I just kind of had that initial adrenaline going and just had a really good game."
Going into last year, could you have envisioned yourself being in this position now?
"Oh, absolutely not, not even in the slightest. I'm going to be real. If you would have asked me before the season what I wanted to do, I would have told you basketball, but after my junior season started, I fell in love with it (football). At the end of the season is when I really realized it's what I wanted to do, so I took my season highlights, threw it up on twitter and now I'm where i am."
Where can you improve the most as as senior?
"Honestly just skill work. I feel like I have most of the leadership and all the stuff that goes into it, but it's just the actual skill, just getting better honestly. I know as a senior my best football is ahead of me and it will be a great season."
What type of season did your team have last year?
"We had a very young team. We have a lot of starting juniors and sophomores that are now going to be juniors this upcoming season. We went 5-5 last year, which is not exactly what we wanted, but with a your core of returning starters it's going to be a good season."
What is your best strength on the field?
"I'd just say leadership honestly. It's just what I do for my team. It's my best attribute."
Had you ever visited New Orleans before your visit?
"No, not at all. Probably the closest I've ever been was Florida, and when I got down there, I loved it. It was awesome. I had a great time. I was only there for like 36 hours, but we did a lot and got a lot done and I fell in love with the city. We went on a swamp tour. We stayed like two blocks from Bourbon Street, so we got the Bourbon Street experience. I got to eat some great food down there, and the very next day we were out to Tulane and had the visit to Tulane and we were on a plane by 6 p.m. that night going back to Kansas City. It was a very quick experience, but it was a great one."
Tulane has made three straight bowl games under Willie Fritz. Were you sold on how good the program is?
"Willie obviously coached in Missouri for quite some time, so there's a lot of connections. I know that he has all the accolades to prove he's a great coach, and the three straight bowl games speak for themselves."
Missouri is not in Tulane's typical recruiting area. What does that say about Tulane wanting you?
"It is really cool because there's not a lot of connection other than Willie Fritz to the Missouri area. I don't think there's really any other recruits from Missouri, so it's definitely cool to know there was a little extra done for me to get down there."
Is your recruiting definitely done?
"I'm a 100-percent set. I'm not going anywhere."
