Memorial Day 2021 will be one to remember for Bellevue West sophomore-to-be quarterback Daniel Kaelin. 

At 7:12 p.m. Kaelin announced via twitter a scholarship offer from Florida State, his first offer at any level. A little more than an hour later at 8:36 p.m., Kaelin announced his second power-conference offer. This one from the home state school Nebraska. 

“My family and I were going to get some ice cream to celebrate the FSU offer and then coach (Michael) Huffman called and said to call coach Verduzco (Nebraska quarterbacks coach),” Kaelin said Monday night. “He (Verduzco) said he wanted to develop a relationship and was excited to get to know me more.” 

Florida State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kenny Dillingham was the first call of the night Kaelin made. He did more listening than talking as the excitement from the Seminoles’ offer sunk in. 

“We were just talking and he said he has seen some video of me and a lot of coaches let him know that they think highly of me and he said he wanted to let me know I was his first offer,” Kaelin said of his conversation with Dillingham. “We talked for 30 minutes and I really was speechless. I didn’t really know what to say.” 

Now the attention turns to camp season beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, June 1. Kaelin has camp visits planned to Iowa State (June 1), Lindenwood Mega Camp (June 4), FSU Mega Camp (June 6), North Carolina (June 12), Vanderbilt (June 13), Oklahoma (June 26) and Kansas State (June 27). 

As far as camping at Nebraska, Kaelin isn’t planning on it. 

“Nothing planned at the moment,” he said of camping or visiting Nebraska. “Coach Verduzco said it is not something I need to do.”

Kaelin was the backup last season for the T-Birds, appearing in four games and completing 9-of-18 pass attempts for 59 yards. He will be in a quarterback competition this offseason with returning starter and senior-to-be Luke Johannsen. 

“I am just going to do my best to get into that position this year,” he said. “There are plenty of kids that don’t play varsity yet and get offers. I am just going to do my best to play as much as possible and go win with my guys.” 

Kaelin is just the latest of Bellevue West players to receive Division I scholarship offers. 2022 tight ends Micah Riley-Ducker and Kaden Helms each have four official visits to power-conference schools in June.

2024 wide receiver Daevonn Hall holds offers from Nebraska and Iowa. 2022 offensive lineman Henry Rickels holds three group-of-five offers and senior defensive tackle Caden Camese holds offers from Air Force and Army West Point.