DURHAM, N.C. — When Duke football needed a touchdown to take the lead against Virginia, Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils knew who they wanted on the receiving end of the pass from Nate Sheppard.
True freshman Brody Keefe.
Sheppard took a lateral from quarterback Walker Eget before throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Keefe in the end zone, giving Duke the lead with 1:28 remaining. The Blue Devils defense came up with a stop on Virginia's ensuing possession, and Duke (5-2, 2-2 ACC) held on for a 19-16 win in Charlottesville.
"We put Brody in for that occasion," Diaz said on Monday, Oct. 26. "We could've thrown it to anybody, so I think that speaks to the trust the staff has in (Brody) and I think his future here too."
Keefe made his first start of the season against Virginia, finishing with a season-high three receptions for 48 yards and the touchdown. His performance was the latest sign of the potential Duke's coaching staff saw in him before the season began and going back to when he first arrived on campus in January.
"Brody was a guy that showed out in the springtime," offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer said. "Really saw that he had high potential."
An injury during fall camp set Keefe back a couple of weeks, but the coaching staff knew what the 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman out of Charlotte could bring to the field.
"He's just got some grit, toughness to him, and some ability just to go get the ball, confidence," Brewer said. "That's the thing you're looking for as a coach is when I throw you the ball, that dude's going to go make every effort he can to go make a catch."
That confidence showed up in more than just the decisive touchdown against Virginia.
Diaz pointed to a run-pass option on the second play of the game, when Keefe ran a hitch route and turned upfield to pick up a first down.
"For him to go tight turn and bomb it and get the first down, it's easy to see the plays where you make the big play, catch down the field, but those are really, I would say, grown-up receiver plays," Diaz said. "Because usually young guys catch it, they want to go sideways and that turns into a third down and three instead of a first and ten."
Brewer also pointed to Keefe's savviness, which helped him sell the trick play.
"To get that sequence down, it takes a little bit longer. It's harder than just putting in a trick play," Brewer said. "It's the timing and the element of when you take off and go. There's a savviness. ... Brody, he has a savviness of playing football."
Keefe is one of many Duke receivers that has continued to develop as the season has progressed, just as Diaz and company have expected. Jonah Burton leads Duke's receiving corps with 21 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown.
"Each week I feel like our passing game has gotten better and better, more confident," Brewer said. "There's more guys making plays. There's more guys being able to play the next play."
Duke returns to action against Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@usatodayco.com or on X @annaesnydr.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How Duke football freshman Brody Keefe continues to earn coaches' trust