Fresh off a successful high school career, Far Eastern University-Diliman forward Jacob Keleghan is taking his talents to a university just minutes away from his alma mater.
The Bacolod native is officially trading the green and gold of FEU-Diliman for the maroon of the University of the Philippines, ensuring that the next chapter of his football journey will unfold right next door in Diliman, Quezon City.
“I’ve won two championships with the Baby Tamaraws and one silver,” the winger, who scored seven goals in UAAP Season 88, told Tiebreaker Times.
“My next step would be to join UP Diliman for college.”
Keleghan is the latest FEU-Diliman alumnus to join the Fighting Maroons, following the path of Macky Tobias and Orlan Togores, who helped UP reclaim the UAAP men’s football championship in Season 86 after a six-season drought.
More recently, John Antonio, Ivan Almodal, and Charles Lobitaña were also part of UP’s championship-winning squad.
His decision to suit up for the Fighting Maroons came down to the winning culture established under head coach Popoy Clarino and the opportunity to further develop his game.
“I chose UP because I genuinely really like the coaches there and the players, and I think it would be a place where I could truly grow and improve the most,” he explained.
As one of the top players in the UAAP high school division, Keleghan naturally caught the attention of the Fighting Maroons’ coaching staff, especially given the close ties between the two programs.
UP assistant coach Ryan Fermin also serves on the coaching staff of PAREF Southridge, while Clarino is a regular presence at UAAP high school matches, many of which are held at UP’s home pitch.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
What ultimately accelerated Keleghan’s move to the Fighting Maroons’ Season 89 pool was his call-up to the Philippine team for the 2026 ASEAN U-19 Boys Championship, where Clarino also served as a member of the national team’s coaching staff.
“I got into UP because Coach Ryan reached out to me asking if I wanted to go to UP, and I said yes,” Keleghan shared.
“So, he invited me to the tryouts, but since I was called up for the national team, with Coach Poy as the assistant coach, he told me I didn’t have to participate in the UP tryouts anymore because the schedules for both tryouts were on the same day.”
Although the Fighting Maroons have already begun their preseason preparations, Keleghan has yet to feature in recent matches. His absence, however, is part of a planned break approved by the coaching staff following his stint with the national team.
“I am currently not playing in the pre-season for UP because after we got back from AFF, I was given permission from Coach Poy to have a short summer break with my family,” said the Season 86 Rookie of the Year.
“I’ll be back on the first week of July to participate in training and try and get on the lineup for the Thailand pre-season in August.”
With UP boasting one of the deepest squads in the UAAP, Keleghan understands that earning playing time will require patience and hard work. Rather than focusing on individual accolades, he is determined to become a dependable contributor to the team’s pursuit of another championship.
“First of all, I want to achieve being on the lineup, and if I am able to do so, I will do my best every game to contribute to the team and win another UAAP,” he said.
“I am very excited for this next chapter in my career. One thing I’d like to achieve is to be a very reliable player, and a player that the coaches really trust to play in the UAAP games.”
