Keon Coleman Didn’t Look Dominant at Michigan State

Wide receiver Keon Coleman has been all the rage this season at Florida State University (FSU). At this time, he ranks No. 11 in college football with seven touchdowns.

However, how did he look at Michigan State last season before transferring to FSU?

Coleman looked like a physical possession receiver who caught 58 passes (93 targets) for 798 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s a catch rate of 62%.

Now, he has just as many touchdowns at FSU through his first six games of 2023 and his draft stock has supposedly skyrocketed. Currently, over 35% of draft platforms are seeing Coleman as a first-round prospect in the upcoming draft (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

I’m trying to do as much work as I can over two seasons (instead of just one) to give more perspective into the prospects ‘full body of work,’ as opposed to just looking at their ‘money year’ before the draft.

What did I see?

Coleman didn’t look elite at Michigan State.

He sometimes jumped to catch the ball when he didn’t have to and he was spotted body-catching over the middle. He wasn’t sure-handed and I didn’t like how lackadaisical he looked on contested passes.

I wasn’t feeling it watching him play. I couldn’t get into his game film.

He caught a lot of passes he should of and made three catches I thought were awesome grabs when he adjusted back to the ball.

Ultra competitive

Coleman was a competitor at Michigan State – – I will say that.

It showed up when he was run-blocking and on pass plays when he wasn’t the intended receiver. Coleman also fought for additional yardage after making short-range receptions.

Who does he remind me of?

Coleman’s performances in these four games bring back memories of former Colorado receiver Michael Westbrook who was the first-round pick of the Washington Redskins in the 1995 draft (No. 4 overall). Westbrook played at 6-foot-3, 221 pounds (NFL.com) and Coleman is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds.

Westbrook was supposed to be this superstar, but he turned out to be inconsistent and never lived up to his billing with the Redskins and one season with the Bengals. He played in 89 games catching 285 passes (576 targets, 49% catch rate) for 4,374 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Coleman’s puzzle

I will do more work on Coleman with the Seminoles and circle back on him, but at Michigan State, I thought he was underwhelming.

The Spartans film will be a piece of the puzzle for his final grade. I question how important football is to him.

#0 Keon Coleman (Michigan State jersey number) 6-foot-4, 215 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Fall 2023 Grade: Third-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 40.2% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of October 22, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Michigan State game film reviewed (2022): Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, and Penn State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: 58 receptions for 798 yards (13.8 yard average) and 7 TD

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

One gear methodical long strider with a strong muscular lanky frame and a lazy streak. Coasting on natural ability. Average looking football speed and he was not running away from defenses. Gets into routes with a physical edge to him. He likes to bully corners and press into his routes to achieve leverage. An undisciplined route runner who did not seem to always be at the spot the quarterback was expecting him to be. Decent, but not great concentration. Somewhat rounded change of direction at route break points. Best on inside slants and sideline routes when he could use his big frame to his advantage and box out the corner. Exhibits excellent ball-tracking skills and the ability to adjust, but is below average on contested passes. Not a lot of fight for the ball when it was in the air. Not a natural catcher either. Didn’t look like a receiver who takes over games. Mixes it up run blocking and did a nice job in this department.

What to watch for during the 2023 college football season

1. Does he fight for contested passes?

2. Game-breaking ability shown?

3. How does his route running look?

4. Change of direction crisp or rounded on routes?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Twitter @firstroundmock.