A UNLV football helmet is displayed during the Mountain West Media Day at Mandalay Bay Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
Monday, Feb. 20, 2023 | 6:47 p.m.
UNLV football player Ryan Keeler.
UNLV football player Ryan Keeler has died, the school announced Monday.
A Chicago native, Keeler transferred to UNLV from Rutgers last offseason. He appeared in seven games for the Scarlet and Gray during the 2022 campaign and totaled 8 tackles, including 1 tackle for loss.
In a press release, new UNLV head coach Barry Odom said Keeler was the kind of person who made a fast impression.
"We are devastated to have lost a member of our Rebel family," Odom said. "While I had the honor of knowing Ryan for only a couple of months, he already stood out to our coaching staff as an incredible person, student and teammate. Our condolences and prayers go out to Ryan's family as we grieve along with them over this tremendous loss."
The cause of Keeler's death has not been released. He was 20 years old.
On Feb. 12, Keeler was named one of the football program's "Rebels of the Week" for his offseason work.
Former teammates shared their condolences on social media.
Adam Plant, who was part of the defensive line group with Keeler, posted photos of Keeler on Twitter along with the message, “Long live Ryan Keeler gone way too soon.”
Aidan Robbins, a running back on last year’s team who has since transferred to BYU, shared similar sentiments on his Twitter: “Gone way too soon your name will live on 4L lil bro.”
Keeler was a business major at UNLV and maintained a GPA of 3.80, which earned him a spot on the Academic All-Mountain West team for the fall 2022 semester.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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