Keion Joyner- One of Nation’s Top Players in the Class of 2016

When 247 ranks you in the top 5 of their initial class rankings for your class, then you must be pretty special.  Keion Joyner, from Havelock, North Carolina, is that and more.  Joyner is rated the number four overall prospect, number one OLB prospect, and number one prospect from the state of North Carolina.  Not a bad gig for the 6-3, 210 pound sophomore.  I asked him how it felt to be so highly rated in the 247sports rankings of the 2016 class and he said, “It feels excellent.  It just shows that hard work does pay off. Just an excellent feeling.”  Joyner was also very humble to being one of the most highly ranked prospects in the nation.  He knows there is a lot to his game that people love but also things that he could improve on as well.  He thinks that his strengths are reading the plays and just his overall instincts of the game.  That is key if he wants to play right away at the college level.   There are also aspects to his game he wants to improve like building his strength and speed in order to prepare him for the strong players at the college game, and also the speed of the game at the college level.

Right now, Joyner has a top 3 of Alabama, LSU, and Auburn, but does include Ohio State as risers on the list.  He loves many things about Ohio State.  One of those things is the play of the linebackers in the scheme.  “Watching Ohio State when I was younger, they were just hard hitters!  They just always hit the players with the ball hard!  I also love the scheme that they play in.”  To impress one of the top players country with the way they hit and the scheme is important because it gives the player a chance to see himself in the scheme and defense.  Next in Joyner’s recruitment is a bunch of visits.  He plans to make a Southern swing to LSU, Alabama, and Auburn to visit his top 3.  He also plans on visiting Ohio State sometime next month.  A decision is not likely anytime soon as he wants to commit sometime during or after his senior season of football.  He sure does have his options though.

Keion Joyner is also a singer! He loves to sing and also wants to learn how to play the guitar.  So when football is over, look out for his albums on the shelves of your local K-Mart.  Wait, this is the 21st century, look for the album on itunes. Joyner was such a nice person talking to him on the phone.  He had workouts, but still took time out of his day to speak to me on the phone, which I respect.  It will be tough for Ohio State to pull him from the SEC country, but if he visits Ohio State next month and has a good visit, then I think they can be right up there with LSU, Alabama, and Auburn.  Keion Joyner is a prospect that every Ohio State fan should watch over the next couple of seasons on the recruiting trail.

 

Check out his highlights and 247sports page as well: 

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2116922/highlights/64277376

247sports.com Profile Page

You can also follow Joyner on twitter: @Marquel_JoynerÂ