Prospect Spotlight: Keegan Effertz – Sibley East (2021)

After a tough season in 2018, the Sibley East football program needed to make some changes. One change they made on the defensive side of the ball was moving <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23727" first="Keegan" last="Effertz"]</strong> from nose tackle to linebacker. The move seemed to work well for both the team and Effertz. Wolverines improved, and Effertz earned all-district honors at his new position. "It was a good season for us," Effertz said. "We really flipped the coin on it. In my sophomore year, we didn’t win any games, and this year we won three games. We had a lot of young guys step up. We only had three seniors starting. People underestimated us." During their victories, Sibley East used a punishing ground game and a quick defense. "Our run game was awesome," Effertz explained. "Some games we would have more than 200-yards rushing. The games we won, we had long, slow, offensive drives. In our win against Worthington, we had a twelve-minute drive. You don’t see that anymore. On our defense, our linebackers were our strength. We also have an all-district cornerback. We might be small, but we are a fast defense." Two years ago, Effertz was an undersized nose tackle. "Our scheme (in 2018) was set up for a small, quick nose tackle. I was able to use my quickness to get between guys and get penetration. By the end of the year, teams caught on, so I switched to a blitzing linebacker in the offseason." The switch motivated Effertz in the weight room. "It was a big transition," Effertz admitted. "I didn’t know much about linebacker. Go get the quarterback – that was my job for two years. I had to earn that (linebacker) spot. I lifted every day and got bigger. My sophomore year, I weighed 150 pounds. My junior year, I went up to 180 pounds. I have always wanted to play linebacker, and I loved it." Considering his position change, his strengths and areas to improve were predictable. "Rushing the quarterback, seeing where the run is going and tackling are my strengths," Effertz told prepredzone.com. "I have been working on my footwork – getting to the proper angles to cut people off. I need to improve my pass coverage." The senior expects to have a larger role this spring. "I didn’t get many offensive reps at running back. I did start a couple of games because of an injury, but I was more of a back-up. This year I am penciled in as the starter." To prepare for a bigger role, Effertz has continued to put in work during the offseason. "I lifted in the winter. We improved our strength program at Sibley East. Before, each kid would have to get a teacher to open the weight room and be in there with us. Now, we got a dedicated strength coach who was in the weight room to work with us every day. He set up workout programs for us. I gained 25 pounds. This spring, I would have run track. I am usually a 100, 200 guy. As a sophomore, I was one spot away from going to State." During the COVID shutdown, the now 5’10" 185-pound senior continued to build his body. "My dad bought a bench and squat rack, and we set up a gym in our basement," Effertz – who likes to fish and hunt - said. "I worked landscaping and was doing that from April through the summer. Then I would go home and lift." Although his dream is to play DI football, Effertz is realistic. "Recruiting has been a lot of ups and downs. I realize I am not likely a DI player. I just want to play college football. I don’t care what level. If they have a great program, have my (academic) program, and have great coaches, I would love to go there. Hamline and Concordia-Moorhead have given me offers. I have been in contact with many other schools. I feel like it can only go up from here." Along with his offers, UW-River Falls, Gustavus, Jamestown, Grand View, Mankato, Augsburg, Wartburg, and others have contacted the Wolverine senior. Some schools see him as a linebacker and others as a safety. "They like my quickness and my ability to read plays." They will also like Effertz’s ability to play multiple positions to help his team in any way he can.