Senior | 6’0″ 215 lbs | Carthage, Texas | 10/26/1999

Keaontay Ingram shows vision and 3rd down ability to be a solid rotational player out of the backfield in any scheme, but lacks elusiveness and needs to work on ball security. 

Overview:

One of nine siblings from Carthage, Texas, Keoantay Ingram committed to Texas as a 4-star recruit. Ingram was a rotational player for the Longhorns, seeing the field every other drive. On third downs, he was often asked to pass protect and contribute on the receiving end. After spending the last 3 years with the Longhorns, he then transferred to USC during the spring of 2021.

Scheme-wise, he should feel right at home coming to Southern California, as the Trojans primarily utilize zone run schemes, while sprinkling in some gap runs, similar to the scheme he ran in Texas. Despite the loss of Stephen Carr and his 56 career receptions, who transferred to Indiana, Ingram should fill the void in the passing game as he amassed 73 career targets while attending Texas. He should see a lot more opportunities to make plays as a receiver with USC as the Trojans ask a bit more of their running backs in terms of the routes run. Ingram has found himself contributing a bit on the punt return unit but hopefully, he could be asked to help out with the other special teams’ units. 

Strengths:

• Shows good vision overall on run plays. He improved in finding open holes on the backside of run plays and reacting to defensive alignment changes post-snap.
• Displays solid burst and quickness to get upfield and around the edge.  
• Waits for blocks to hit before heading towards the hole and recognizes and takes advantage of over-pursuit from the linebackers. 
• Shows an ability to press the hole to suck in 2nd level defenders and help out lineman with their blocks and head to a vacant gap.
• Has reliable hands as a receiver and gets upfield in a hurry after securing the catch.
• In pass protection, looks for work and he also shows an understanding on who to block.
• When in pass protection, shows a good base and play strength to not give up ground when taking on rushers.
• Shows good balance to stay on his feet and get extra yards after the first hit and can run through arm tackles. 
• Looks comfortable in any running scheme

Areas To Improve:

• Ingram carries the rock loosely when on the move. 
• Doesn’t show much elusiveness to evade would-be tacklers and lacks a stiff-arm. Not very effective to create for himself in close quarters and extend the play. 
• Doesn’t show any explosion off his cuts and shows adequate long speed. 
• Doesn’t show a meanstreak in punishing defenders before he gets to the ground.
• Pad level and hand timing while in pass protection is inconsistent on solo attempts. Will sometimes lean in to his target.

Injury Concerns:

• 2020: Suffered a high ankle sprain against Oklahoma State and missed the rest of the season. Was battling hamstring issues in the spring as well.
• 2019: Missed parts of 3 games due to an ankle injury and an undisclosed injury.
• 2018: Missed a game with an injured knee and battled a hip injury at points throughout the season

Projection:

Keaontay Ingram currently projects as a late-Day 3 pick due to his 3rd down ability and solid running skills. If he can improve his ball security and at the least show some , he could get taken in the early part of Day 3. The injury bug has hampered the Trojans running backs the last four seasons. If Ingram can stay healthy for USC in 2021, he should be able to earn the starting role and at least have a similar 2019 season where he gained 853 rushing yards and 242 receiving yards. Some notable games to watch would be against Colorado, Utah, Arizona State, and California. In the NFL, he projects best as a rotational RB who can help on third downs and special teams for a team who will feel comfortable using him running both a zone-heavy or gap-centric theme.

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