Derek Kief - Class of 2014 - Wide Receiver

PICS: WR Derek Kief's Family #Bama Commitment Gathering #ROLLTIDE

2013-06-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief after committing to Alabama

Special thanks to Derek's Aunt (and my wife), Monica Hart for capturing some great photos at yesterday's family commitment gathering.

Kelly Ceasar (mom), Adrick Ceasar (dad), Zoey Ceasar (sister)

Derek Kief's cousins celebrating his commitment to Alabama!

No more stress for Derek Kief. It's time to focus on La Salle Lancer football!

Derek Kief, Kelly Ceasar (mom), Zoey Ceasar (sister) & Adrick Ceasar (dad)

Chris Kief (grandma), Derek Kief & Pat Kief (grandpa)

Pat Kief (grandpa), he played for the most winningest team in the history of Miami (OH) football.
They didn't lose a game in 2 years and won 2 bowl games beating Florida (1973) and Georgia (1974).

Kelly Ceasar (mom) & Monica Hart (aunt)

Lance Hart (uncle) trying to tell the young bucks a little something about life.

Behind the scenes:

Lance Hart (uncle) filming Kelly Ceasar (mom), Zoey Ceasar (sister), Derek Kief & Adrick Ceasar (dad)

Lance Hart (uncle) editing the video prior to Derek tweeting the link

Feel free to use the photos posted but please credit MonicaHartPhotography.com. Otherwise, I'll be sleeping on the couch! :)

This will likely be the last post until the 2013 La Salle season starts. Thank you all for supporting Derek, ROLL TIDE!

The Uncle.

2014 WR Derek Kief Commits

2013-06-16T18:11:00.000-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief Will Commit from His Twitter @DKief10, Sunday Between 5:30-6PM

2013-06-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

Derek will be ending the recruiting process and tweeting his college commitment from @DKief10, his personal Twitter account, this Sunday (June 16th, 2013), between 5:30-6PM.

Congrats Derek, everyone is looking forward to the announcement!

Pics: WR Derek Kief's #Alabama Visit (Coach Saban, AJ, Norwood, Kelly & more)

2013-06-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief pondering the possibility of Alabama

Family Matters

Left to right: Lance Hart (uncle), Derek Kief, Coach Nick Saban, Kelly Ceasar (mom),
Zoey Ceasar (sister), Adrick Ceasar (dad), Pat Kief (grandpa), Chris Kief (grandma)

Back row, left to right: Lance Hart (uncle), Derek Kief, Chris Kief (grandma), Pat Kief (grandpa)
Front row: Kelly Ceasar (mom) holding Zoey Ceasar (sister)

Zoey Ceasar (Derek Kief's sister)

Adrick Ceasar (dad) & Derek Kief

Derek Kief & Lance Hart (uncle)

Coach Nick Saban

Coach Nick Saban and 2014 WR Derek Kief

The Players

2014 WR Derek Kief & SR QB AJ McCarron

SR WR Kevin Norwood & 2014 WR Derek Kief

Cincinnati Connection: 2014 WR Derek Kief & SO OL Ryan Kelly

On Deck

Left to right: FR WR/DB ArDarius Stewart, 2014 WR Derek Kief,
FR QB Cooper Bateman, FR TE OJ Howard, FR WR Raheem Falkins

2014 WR Derek Kief & FR LB Reuben Foster

FR RB Altee Tenpenny & 2014 WR Derek Kief

The History

Alabama football speaks for itself

2014 WR Derek Kief wearing a National Championship ring

Roll Tide Roll

AS ALWAYS, FEEL FREE TO REPUBLISH ANY OF THE PICS (click each pic for full resolution)

Inside Scoop on WR Derek Kief: The Method Behind the Madness of "Speed Does Kill"

2013-06-08T07:35:00.002-04:00

The song "Speed Does Kill" wasn't just created to make Derek's highlights unique, it was a method of motivation for Derek going in to the off-season prior to his Senior year. You have to understand, for many years, Derek was playing sports all year round.

He was stuck in a never-ending loop, relying mostly on his freakish size coupled with his god-given talents to get him by. While Derek loved basketball (I coached him and various school and AAU teams for many years), he decided not to play his Junior year to focus all of his efforts on football.

For the first time ever, Derek was about to experience the upside of downtime. Derek's father called me and said, "Print some shirts that say, Speed Kills, Strength Punishes. That is going to be our theme during the off-season." Being the somewhat overzealous uncle (as some may say), I called up a friend in the biz and asked if he and his crew would be interested in making a song. Upon arrival to the studio, I told them I wouldn't stifle their creativity but I absolutely needed "Speed Kills" and "Strength Punishes" somewhere in the song. It wasn't long before they were bouncing ideas off of each other and the next thing you know, WORD IS BORN:

"Speed does kill yeah speed does kill. You'll get punished with my strength, that's for real."

Since Derek's Junior season ended, he has been laser-focused on one thing and one thing only, to be the best version of a WR that he can possibly be going in to his Senior season. That focus is harnessed by the "Speed Kills, Strength Punishes" theme. Derek knew he needed to work on his speed, strength, agility and quickness to make him a stronger and more explosive wide receiver. Not playing basketball provided him with the necessary downtime to focus on what was most important at the next level, his upside.

Let's rewind to the summer of 2012. Derek ran a 4.51 40 in front of the OSU coaching staff at their annual summer camp. At that time, dripping wet he might have weighed 185 lbs. Did he already and continue to put up amazing stats in the GCL, consistently catch everything in sight, display a high football IQ and very solid technical route running ability? Sure. Although, while that was probably good enough to be the best in the GCL and one of the best players in Ohio, that wasn't good enough for Derek. He wanted to push himself to be the best. He recognized that he needed to make room for some downtime, leading to his decision to drop basketball.

Fast forward back to today, his focus and efforts are paying off. To put it in perspective, I will compare Derek's summer pre-test stats (before La Salle's strength & conditioning) to the 2011 NFL combine stats of one of his favorite wide receivers.

	A.J. Green	Derek Kief
Height	6-4	6-5
Weight	211	200 (205 - 210 by season)
Vertical Jump	34 1/2	35
40 Low	4.40	4.47
40 Time	4.48	4.48
40 High	4.56	4.49
Broad Jump	126"	124"
3-Cone	6.91	6.94

Of course, I recognize that the methods for capturing the 40 and 3-cone times are not necessarily equal, that isn't the point. The point is simply, "Speed Kills, Strength Punishes". That theme is now woven into the fabric of Derek Kief. The investments that he has made and continues to make in his upside during his downtime are now paying dividends.

While his film and stats from playing in one of the Nation's top high school conferences have landed him 22 offers, including 3 of the top 4 ranked 2012 teams seems impressive, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Speed Does Kill.

Details: 2014 WR Derek Kief's Upcoming Unofficial Overnight to #Alabama #RollTide

2013-06-04T11:19:00.001-04:00

#10 Derek Kief from La Salle High School in Cincinnati Ohio leaves on Saturday for Tuscaloosa, AL with an entourage of family members. Derek along with 6 family members (including myself) will spend the entire visit from June 8th to June 11th in Tuscaloosa. We will have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the city, the academic programs, the athletic facilities and The Process.

While the family will be staying in a nearby hotel, Derek will be spending as much time on campus and overnight with the players.

Roll Tide.

2014 JJHuddle Top 100 Ranks WR Derek Kief #1 Football Prospect in Ohio!

2013-05-31T11:07:00.004-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief #1 Ranked by JJHuddle

Congrats Derek for being named the #1 football prospect in Ohio!

The staff at JJHuddle.com, Bucknuts.com and ScoutingOhio.com collaborated to select the Top 100 football prospects for the class of 2014. JJHuddle.com and ScoutingOhio.com focus 100% of their efforts on Ohio athletes and Bucknuts.com is the Ohio State Football & Recruiting source for 247sports.com.

Below are the first 25 of the Top 100. To see the entire Top 100 which includes verbal commitments, offers and stats...CLICK HERE.

1	Derek Kief	WR	La Salle
2	Marshon Lattimore	WR	Glenville
3	Parris Campbell	RB	St. Vincent-St.Mary
4	Kyle Trout	OT	Lancaster
5	Dante Booker Jr.	LB	Akron SVSM
6	Jimmy Byrne	OL	St Ignatius
7	Marcelys Jones	OL	Glenville
8	DeShone Kizer	QB	Toledo Central Catholic
9	Kyle Berger	LB	St Ignatius
10	Michael Ferns	LB	St Clairsville
11	Vayante Copeland	RB	Thurgood Marshall
12	Joe Henderson	DE	Shaker Heights
13	Chris Durkin	QB	Youngstown Ursuline
14	Daniel Cage	DL	Winton Woods
15	Mikel Horton	RB	Lakota West
16	Sam Hubbard	LB	Moeller
17	Ethan Wolf	TE	Minster
18	Nick Richardson	OL	Westerville Central
19	Mike Edwards	DB	Winton Woods
20	Erick Smith	DB	Glenville
21	Darryl Long	TE	Westerville South
22	Alex Dalton	OL	Troy
23	Robert Bowers	DE	Walnut Ridge
24	Noah Furbush	DE	Kenton
25	Thaddeus Snodgrass	WR	Springfield

2014 WR Derek Kief's Initial Top 5 (a fitting way to announce)

2013-05-23T18:21:00.001-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief's initial top 5 released 05/23/2013
(feel free to republish the above image, if you click it you will get a full resolution version)

ABOVE ARE NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER

The lyrics above are from Derek Kief's highlight film below:

2014 WR Derek Kief Taking Unofficial Visits to Alabama and Clemson

2013-05-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

On June 8th-11th, Derek Kief and some family members will be traveling to visit both Alabama and Clemson. The agenda:

June 8th: Travel (overnight in Tuscaloosa, AL)
June 9th: Alabama (overnight on Alabama campus)
June 10th: Clemson (overnight on Clemson campus)
June 11th: Clemson & Travel

Junior WR Derek Kief Receives Offer from University of Connecticut (22nd offer)

2013-05-08T15:10:00.003-04:00

The University of Connecticut Huskies offered 2014 WR Derek Kief. This is Derek's 22nd offer. Congrats Derek!

Junior WR Derek Kief Receives Offer from University of Virginia (21st offer)

2013-05-06T15:02:00.003-04:00

The University of Virginia Cavaliers offered 2014 WR Derek Kief. This is Derek's 21st offer. Congrats Derek!

Announcement: Derek is on a school retreat and will be off-the-grid until Friday evening

2013-05-01T10:57:00.001-04:00

This announcement is for coaches, analysts or reporters trying to contact Derek over the next few days. Thank you in your continued interest in Derek.

2014 WR Derek Kief Highlights from 2013 Rivals Under Armour Camp

2013-04-21T00:19:00.000-04:00

The above contains one-on-ones with Damon Webb, Darius West, Alonzo Saxton and others.

These highlights from the Rivals Camp Series sponsored by Under Armour focused on Derek Kief's improved acceleration, strength and technique as a big WR.

To check out game highlights from last year watch the video below. At the time the video below was filmed Derek weighed about 185lbs. Today Derek weighs 199lbs and continues to put on weight by building muscle while simultaneously improving his acceleration and explosiveness.

2014 WR Derek Kief Nominated for US Army All-American Bowl

2013-04-17T12:33:00.001-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief nominated for US Army All-American Bowl (sourced via WLSN's Barrett Cohen)

Original post:

BREAKING @barrett_cohen confirms Derek Kief nominated to the US Army All-American Bowl @mikedyer@coachnmoore twitter.com/WLSNRADIO/stat…
— WLSN(@WLSNRADIO) April 17, 2013

Picture of 2014 WR Derek Kief Prior to the OSU Spring Game

2013-04-16T22:32:00.001-04:00

2014 WR Derek Kief speaking with Urban Meyer prior to the OSU Spring Game at Paul Brown Stadium

Folks, I apologize for not posting earlier, I have been on vacation. -Lance

Junior WR Derek Kief Receives Offer from University of Central Florida (20th offer)

2013-04-16T22:15:00.004-04:00

The University of Central Florida Knights offered 2014 WR Derek Kief. This is Derek's 20th offer. Congrats Derek!

Junior WR Derek Kief Receives Offer from University of Notre Dame (19th offer)

2013-04-04T13:00:00.001-04:00

The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish offered 2014 WR Derek Kief. This is Derek's 19th offer. Congrats Derek!

The Best of Cincinnati Issue of City Beat Named WR Derek Kief, "Best Super-Tall Local Football Recruit"

2013-04-01T18:57:00.000-04:00

City Beat Best of Cincinnati 2013 (click image above to view this issue)

The Best of Cincinnati issue of City Beat compiles the best Eats, Shops & Services, Arts & Nightlife, Public Eye, Jocks and Urban Life in the Cincinnati area.

On page 118, City Beat awarded the "BEST SUPER-TALL LOCAL FOOTBALL RECRUIT" with the description:

"LaSalle junior wide receiver Derek Kief is one of the most sought-after high school football players in the country. He has a website dedicated to his recruitment, which recently noted that he’s among only four players in Ohio to receive offers from both Ohio State and the University of Alabama (one of them spurned both powerhouses and went to Michigan — ouch!). The 6-foot-5 Kief still has one year left at LaSalle before entering the college game in 2014. derekkief.com."

Thank you City Beat. Not only is this award an honor for Derek Kief, you sure gave us a laugh with the title!

Source:
http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-27410-2013_jocks_staff_pic.html
http://npaper-wehaa.com/city-beat#2013/03/27/?page=158&mode=3&dpg=1

Ohio State's Message to 2014 WR Derek Kief During His Recent Visit #OhioState #OSU

2013-04-01T14:01:00.000-04:00

4* WR Derek Kief Visiting THE Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State's message to 2014 WR Derek Kief during his visit:

They are building and expanding the depth of wide receivers on the roster
He is amongst Ohio’s top talent and would be a great addition to the team
He has a unique skill set and range as an outside wide receiver that would be beneficial to the offense

Pics/Reaction: Derek Kief's Ohio State Visit

Pics/Reaction: Derek Kief's Ohio State Visit #OSU #Buckeyes (Kyle Trout, Darius West)

2013-03-31T11:09:00.002-04:00

4* WR Derek Kief Visiting THE Ohio State Buckeyes

On March 29th, 2013, junior wide receiver Derek Kief took an unofficial visit to Ohio State University with Kelly Ceasar (mother), Adrick Ceasar (father) and newest edition to the family, Zoey Ceasar (sister).

Derek was provided this opportunity to learn more about the academic programs available, tour the facilities, speak with the coaches and obtain a firsthand glimpse into the Buckeye football program which he holds a scholarship offer to play for.

OSU DB Najee Murray

Derek stayed in the dorms with DB Najee Murray. He also had the chance to talk with several other members of the team. On March 30th, he attended the spring practice in the morning and travelled back to Cincinnati later in the afternoon.

Below are some pictures as well as Derek's reaction to the visit.

Pictures

Below are a few pictures taken during his visit to Ohio State.

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief on his OSU visit

Adrick Ceasar (father), Derek Kief, Kelly Ceasar (mother) and Zoey Ceasar (baby sister aka "Hollywood")

Kyle Trout (OSU commit)

4* 2014 OT Kyle Trout and 4* 2014 WR Derek Kief

Class of 2014 four-star offensive tackle Kyle Trout from Lancaster, OH (Lancaster) is currently ranked 11th in the nation as an OT. In addition to Ohio State, Kyle has received offers from Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Toledo and West Virginia.

Kyle Trout's profile on 247sports.com | Highlight Video | Twitter: @Trout75

Darius West

4* 2014 Safety Darius West and 4* 2014 WR Derek Kief

Class of 2014 four-star safety Darius West from Lima, OH (Lima Central Catholic) is currently ranked 13th in the nation as a safety. Darius does not currently have an Ohio State offer, but one may be in his near future. Darius has received offers from Kentucky, Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Minnesota, Missouri, Penn State, Purdue, Toledo, UCF, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

Darius West's profile on 247sports.com | Highlight Video | Twitter: @D_1west25

4* WR Derek Kief posing next to the Biletnikoff awarded to Ohio State Wide Receiver Terry Glenn in 1995

4* WR Derek Kief holding the 72nd Heisman awarded to Ohio State Quarterback Troy Smith in 2006

Derek's Reaction
Considering the below Tweets and picture that Derek posted on Instagram/Twitter, it looks like he enjoyed the visit.

Goin' on my journey to Columbus today... #Buckeyes
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 29, 2013

The drive to Columbus isn't bad at all
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 29, 2013

So many kids on campus...
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 29, 2013

Good visit at #OhioState instagram.com/p/Xfm3cdoCXQ/
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 30, 2013

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief posted a picture of himself after the Ohio State visit

The above rankings data was sourced via the 247sports Football Recruit Search tool and was up-to-date as of the time of this post.

Junior WR Derek Kief Receives Offer from University of Louisville (18th offer)

2013-03-27T19:18:00.001-04:00

The University of Louisville Cardinals offered 2014 WR Derek Kief. This is Derek's 18th offer. Congrats Derek!

Alabama's Message to 2014 WR Derek Kief During His Recent Visit #Alabama #Bama #RollTide

2013-03-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

4* WR Derek Kief Visiting University of Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama's message to 2014 WR Derek Kief during his visit:

He is at the top of their list for outside wide receivers
He has a big long body with really good ball skills and understands how to get open
He has an impressive football IQ when it comes to passing game concepts
Their strength and conditioning program will shoot his performance to the next level because his ceiling of potential to get faster and stronger is extremely high

Pics/Reaction: Derek Kief's Alabama Visit

Pics/Reaction: Derek Kief's Alabama Visit #Alabama #Bama #RollTide

2013-03-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

4* WR Derek Kief Visiting University of Alabama Crimson Tide

On March 22nd, 2013, junior wide receiver Derek Kief took an unofficial visit to University of Alabama with Adrick Ceasar (father). Derek and Adrick flew out of Cincinnati on March 21st, visited on March 22nd and travelled back to Cincinnati on March 23rd. Derek was provided this opportunity to learn more about the academic programs available, tour the facilities, speak with the coaches and obtain a firsthand glimpse into the Crimson Tide football program which he holds a scholarship offer to play for.

In a recent article dubbed, Kief No Longer Hidden Midwest Gem, Kief reacted to his offer from Alabama:

“It’s a great honor,” Kief said. “Obviously, they’ve won national championships and a lot of the best players go there. It’s an honor to see that they would want me to play there.”

Derek was the only recruit on campus on the 22nd so he received a lot of one-on-one time with the coaches and recruiting staff. Below are some pictures as well as Derek's reaction to the visit.

Pictures

Below are a few pictures taken during his visit to Alabama.

Who's that number 10?!? Derek Kief! Roll Tide.

4* WR Derek Kief posing next to the 75th Heisman awarded to Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram in 2009

4* WR Derek Kief's visit to Alabama's Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

4* WR Derek Kief standing in Alabama's Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Derek's Reaction
Considering the below Tweets and picture that Derek posted on Instagram/Twitter, it looks like he enjoyed the visit.

Almost in Tuscaloosa for this Alabama visit
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 22, 2013

Just had a great visit at Alabama! Had a really good time.#RollTide
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 23, 2013

@lauraa2u it was really cool. They're spring break is starting though
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 23, 2013

Bout to hop on this plane in a little.its been real
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 23, 2013

Great visit #RollTide instagram.com/p/XNPw_KICRn/
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 23, 2013

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief posted a picture of himself after the Alabama visit

Junior WR Derek Kief Receives Offer from University of Arkansas (17th offer)

2013-03-19T19:59:00.000-04:00

The University of Arkansas Razerbacks offered 2014 WR Derek Kief. This is Derek's 17th offer. Congrats Derek!

Pics/Reaction: Derek Kief's Northwestern Visit (Matt Alviti, Ian Bunting, Dareian Watkins)

2013-03-11T09:08:00.003-04:00

On March 8th-9th, 2013, junior wide receiver Derek Kief took an unofficial overnight visit to Northwestern University with Adrick Ceasar (father) and Pat Kief (grandfather). Derek was provided this opportunity to learn more about the academic programs available, tour the facilities, speak with the coaches and obtain a firsthand glimpse into the Wildcats football program which he holds a scholarship offer to play for. While on the visit, he also met a 2013 All-American signee as well as other top 2014 recruits. Below are some pictures as well as Derek's reaction to the visit.

Pictures

Below are a few players Derek had the opportunity to meet during his visit to Northwestern.

Matt Alviti - 2013 Semper Fidelis All-American

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief and 4* 2013 QB/Northwestern signee Matt Alviti

Retrieved from Matt Alviti's profile on 247sports.com

Class of 2013 four-star dual-threat quarterback Matt Alviti from Park Ridge, IL (Maine South) was ranked 7th in the nation as a dual-threat quarterback. In addition to Northwestern, Matt received offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois, Boston College.

Quotes from Alviti found online in reference to why he decided on Northwestern:

"As a quarterback, I can't think of a better offense to run."

"I'm very close with my family, and to be able to play so close to home is a real positive."

"The academics and the education at Northwestern is hard to top."

"The next four years at Northwestern will prepare me for the next 40 years in the real world."

Matt Alviti's profile on 247sports.com | Highlight Video | Twitter: unknown

Ian Bunting

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief and 4* 2014 TE Ian Bunting

Retrieved from Ian Bunting's profile on 247sports.com

Class of 2014 four-star tight end Ian Bunting from Hinsdale, IL (Hinsdale Central) is currently ranked 12th in the nation as a TE. In addition to Northwestern, Ian has received offers from Nortre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Purdue. Considering that Derek is a legit 6'5" without shoes, Ian Bunting is TALL. His profile on 247sports.com may say 6'6" but he is easily 6'7", pushing towards 6'8"!

Ian Bunting's profile on 247sports.com | Highlight Video | Twitter: @BuntingIan

Dareian Watkins

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief, 4* 2014 ATH (QB/WR) Dareian Watkins (orange sweatshirt)
with Northwestern Wildcats Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald

Retrieved from Darien Watkins' profile on 247sports.com

Class of 2014 four-star athlete Dareian Watkins from Galion, OH (Galion) is currently ranked 10th in the nation as an ATH. In addition to Northwestern, Dareian has received offers from Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kent State, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, N.C. State, Ohio University, Purdue, Toledo, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Dareian Watkin's profile on 247sports.com | Highlight Video | Twitter: @dwatkins_2

Derek's Reaction
Considering the below Tweets and picture that Derek posted on Instagram/Twitter, it looks like he enjoyed the visit.

Good visit at Northwestern so far
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 9, 2013

Successful visit at Northwestern this weekend! #Wildcats instagr.am/p/WptA4YICba/
— Derek Kief (@DKief10) March 9, 2013

4* 2014 WR Derek Kief posted a picture of himself after the Northwestern visit

Retrieved from Derek Kief's profile on 247sports.com

The above rankings data was sourced via the 247sports Football Recruit Search tool and was up-to-date as of the time of this post.