Keaton Mitchell

Keaton Anthony Mitchell, born January 17, 2002, in McDonough, Georgia, is an accomplished American professional football player currently demonstrating his talents as a running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Before adorning the uniform of the Ravens, Mitchell was a vital member of the East Carolina Pirates while earning his college studies.

As a testament to his keen skills and natural talent, Mitchell was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens shortly after the 2023 NFL draft. These opportunities were not just a matter of skill, but also heritage, as Mitchell lived and breathed football from a very young age, being the progeny of Anthony Mitchell, a former NFL player and Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens.

While still at school, he was a force to be reckoned with at Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy. Mitchell played an essential role in leading his school to four consecutive state championships. In his junior and senior years alone, he ran for a staggering total of 4,347 yards and scored 88 touchdowns. Thanks to their star player, Eagle’s Landing enjoyed tremendous success, winning 54 of the 56 games they played. Mitchell gained recognition as Class A Private Offensive Player of the Year, and Class A Region 5 Player of the Year, before committing to a fruitful college football career at East Carolina on a scholarship.

Mitchell made his debut in the East Carolina team as a freshman in 2020, where his potential began to shine. He played nine games, starting two, and made 88 rushing attempts for 443 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell also had 11 receptions for 75 yards and scored one touchdown. By 2021, he had an impressive record, having started all 12 games and scraping past the 1,000 rushing yard mark, the first at ECU to achieve such a feat since Tay Cooper in 2013. His performance made him the standout choice for first-team all-conference and led the American Athletic Conference in total rushing yards (1,132) and all-purpose yards per game (115.83). He left a significant mark in the conference leaderboards, placing high in four other statistics.

In 2022, as a sophomore, Mitchell’s performance further catapulted his reputation as he ran for 1,452 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He led the nation in FBS in runs of more than 10 yards, with 54. Additionally, he caught 27 passes for 252 yards and one score. His extraordinary performance earned him an honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and first-team All-AAC for the second consecutive year. Fueled by these successes and with a thirst for bigger challenges, Mitchell declared for the NFL draft, ending his college career with 3,027 rushing yards and an average of 6.5 yards-per-carry.

In 2023, while Mitchell was projected to be a front-runner in the NFL draft, he also found his name being called in the fourth round of the 2023 USFL draft by the New Orleans Breakers. However, on May 5, 2023, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens, gaining recognition from Pro Football Focus as one of the top ten undrafted free agent signings from the class.

Mitchell survived the roster cuts and made the initial 53-man roster in August that year, only to be placed on injured reserve shortly after. After a brief hiatus due to injury, Mitchell made an impressive NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. However, his debut season was cut short when he sustained a knee injury in Week 15 during a match against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite the setback, he finished his rookie year with 47 carries for 396 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in eight games and two starts. Mitchell’s unanticipated injury led to him being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on July 15, 2024.