Keith is commit #2 for Wake Forest
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons earned their second commit of the 2018 class on Thursday night.
Zion Keith — a three-star defensive back from Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina — verbally committed to play for the Demon Deacons starting in 2018-19.
Keith — who is also celebrating a birthday on Thursday — called his commitment to Wake Forest a special birthday gift. He joins quarterback Sam Hartman as the only two commits in the 2018 class. Hartman committed to the Demon Deacons back on July 7.
He held offers from Central Florida and South Carolina but he ultimately decided that Wake Forest was the best fit for him as a player and student.
"It was my birthday and a gift to myself," he said. "I feel like Wake (Forest) is the perfect stop for me. The coaches and I have great relationships and I just felt it was the perfect day."
With the verbal commitment out of the way, the talented defensive star will now turn his attention to preparing for baseball and track and the upcoming football season. He can now play his senior season at Wilson stress free. The decision to choose a school will no longer loom over Keith's head.
After the 2017-18 football season, Keith plans on graduating early and enrolling into Wake Forest as soon as possible. With the decision to enroll early, he will focus solely on football next year.
"It's great," Keith said when asked about how it feels to be committed to a program. "I don't have to deal with any stress now. I can focus on my senior season and doing anything possible to help us win. I'm running track and playing baseball right now. My senior season I'll just be playing football. I'll be done with all my main courses the end of this semester so I'm working on becoming a early enrollee."
Keith was offered by Central Florida back on February 18th. Before that, he took unofficial visits to the Wake Forest on December 10th and February 6th. Through his visits and constant contact, the versatile defensive back established a rapport with Wake Forest coaching staff, especially with Assistant Head Coach Kevin Higgins.
"The biggest recruiter was no doubt Coach (Kevin) Higgins," he said. "(Higgins) played the most important role. He recruited me hard and stay in touch with me since (I was in) 10th grade... Ever since that our relationship has grown."
Keith isn't done visiting the school, however. He hopes to be back sometime in the near future during the spring.
"I plan on coming to see one of the spring practices," he said. "If not I'll be at the spring game for sure."
As a player who can play multiple positions on defense, the Wilson High School defensive back plans on competing for playing time right away, regardless of position in the secondary. His size will allow him to do so (6-foot-1 and 190 lbs). He also hopes to establish more relationships within the team by enrolling into classes early.
"I plan on coming in and building a great relationship with the guys early and compete for a spot at corner or wherever they need me to play. I believe I can play the nickel, both safety spots, and I can play corner."
