Keelan White

Last updated

Keelan White
No. 81     Ottawa Redblacks
2025, 81, Keelan White.jpg
White with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2025
Born: (2001-10-03) October 3, 2001 (age 23)
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Career information
StatusActive
CFL status National
Position(s) Wide receiver
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight190 lb (86 kg)
College Montana (2019–2024)
High school Handsworth Secondary (North Vancouver, BC)
CFL draft 2025, round: 1, pick: 3
Drafted by Ottawa Redblacks
Career history
As player
2025–present Ottawa Redblacks
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

Keelan White (born October 3, 2001) is a Canadian professional football wide receiver for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). White previously played college football for the Montana Grizzlies.

Contents

Early life

White was born on October 3, 2001, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. [1] He was a member of U16 and U18 Team Canada squads that competed in The United States. [2] White was a two-star recruit out of high school before enrolling at the University of Montana. [3]

College career

White played college football for the Montana Grizzlies from 2019 to 2024. [4] He walked-on to the team as a freshman before going on scholarship in 2020. [2] White played in three games as a true freshman but would seem,ore playing time the following year, recording 22 receptions for 156 yards. [4] In 2022, he played in all 13 games and started in 12, scoring five touchdowns and 237 receiving yards on 23 catches.

In 2023, against Sacramento State, White scored a 97-yard touchdown from quarterback, Clifton McDowell, setting a school record for the longest play from scrimmage and touchdown in school history. [5] He was named the team's Offensive MVP for the 2023 season. [4] In his final year, White had 57 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in those categories. [4] He earned second-team All-Big Sky honors and was an honorable mention for the Jon Cornish Trophy for the most outstanding Canadian student-athlete in NCAA football. [6] [7]

College statistics
SeasonTeamGamesReceivingRushing
GPGSRecYdsLngTDAttYdsLngTD
2019 Montana 3015500000
2020–21 Montana 204381710000
2021 Montana 111221561901-1100
2022 Montana 1312232373650000
2023 Montana 1515547989740000
2024 Montana 1313576282640000
Career 57411611,86297141-1100

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightHand span 40-yard dash 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0.2 in
(1.83 m)
190 lb
(86 kg)
9+38 in
(0.24 m)
4.60 s4.10 s6.78 s32.5 in
(0.83 m)
9 ft 9 in
(2.97 m)
12 reps
All values from Pro Day [8]

Entering the 2025 CFL draft, White was ranked as the fifth best prospect by the CFL Scouting Bureau. [9] He was then drafted in the first round, third overall, by the Ottawa Redblacks and signed with the team on May 8, 2025. [10] [11] White made his professional debut against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on June 6, catching four passes for 41 yards. [1] He recorded his first touchdown on July 12 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. [12]

Personal life

White's father, Richard, played two seasons in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Keelan WHITE". CFL.ca . Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Hansen, Kyle (October 10, 2024). "A walk-on from Canada, Keelan White 'proved a lot' in carving standout path with Montana Grizzlies". MontanaSports.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  3. "Keelan White, Handsworth , Wide Receiver". 247Sports . Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Keelan White - Football". University of Montana Athletics. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  5. Hoffman, Alex (November 4, 2023). "UM takes controlling lead against Sacramento State". KECI . Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  6. "BIG SKY FOOTBALL: Montana State headlines all-conference selections". Coeur d'Alene Press . November 28, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  7. "White earns an honorable mention for the 2024 Cornish Trophy". University of Montana Athletics. December 18, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  8. "Former Griz show out on Pro Day". University of Montana Athletics. April 3, 2025. Archived from the original on July 17, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  9. "Rourke maintains hold of top spot in Winter edition of CFL Scouting Bureau". CFL.ca . January 22, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  10. "Former Grizzlies White, Harris drafted to CFL". Daily Inter Lake . April 29, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  11. Heilman, Michael (May 8, 2025). "Ottawa Redblacks sign seven players from the 2025 CFL Draft". BGMSportsTrax. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  12. "REDBLACKS fall short in narrow loss to Tiger-Cats". Ottawa REDBLACKS . July 15, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  13. Nuanez, Colter (January 2, 2024). "NORTH TO SOUTH – Canadian walk-on White is a breakout playoff star for Griz". Skyline Sports. Retrieved August 18, 2025.