UK Gets Another Top Player
Headed by ace recruiter Vince Marrow Kentucky has put a clamp on keeping the top in state players home. They added to that ever growing list on Thursday by picking up another big time local recruit. Kentucky’s 2022 recruiting class got a whole lot better as Dane Key Commits To Kentucky.
Staying Home
A four star wide receiver from Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington announced his commitment at the high school on Thursday night. The commitment video played showing his choice.
Dane Key has committed to Kentucky! @DaneKey12 #BBN pic.twitter.com/WdsM74uRXe
— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) October 28, 2021
Key chose the Wildcats over Michigan, Oregon and South Carolina. 247 Sports ranks the six foot two, 190 pound wide receiver as the number one player in the state of Kentucky. Nationally he’s listed as the 32nd best receiver in the 2022 class and 221stplayer overall. So far this year Key has 31 receptions for 501 yards and five touchdowns for a Broncos team that’s ranked number one in Class 5A. He’s also the highest rated wide receiver recruit for Mark Stoops in his nine years at Kentucky. Furthermore he plans to enroll early at Kentucky.
Marrow was on hand last weekend when Douglass beat Montgomery County 54-7 and he’s been the lead recruiter. Key’s been a frequent visitor to UK’s campus and was in attendance when Kentucky finally beat Florida at home. Furthermore he was among the fans who stormed the field after the game. Obviously the bond he’s made with the coaching staff helped lead to his decision to stay home.
Legacy Recruit
Key’s father Donte’ was an All-State player at Franklin-Simpson High School and a four year letter winner in basketball too. Key attended the University Of Kentucky graduating in 1995. During his career Key finished with 152 tackles. He’s probably best remembered by the Big Blue Nation for his outstanding game against Louisville in 1994. In the first contest between the two schools in 70 years Key forced a fumble that set up a the Wildcats’ winning score. If that wasn’t enough he picked off a pass late in the game to preserve the 20-14 victory. As a result Key was named National Defensive Player of the Week by Sports Illustrated.
In a family filled with great football players Dane’s brother Devin was an outstanding player at Western Kentucky and is now a defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Building Another Pipeline
Here at Last Word On College Football we’ve talked a lot about the pipeline Kentucky has with the state of Ohio. Now the school has its own in-state one with one of the best programs in the state. Key joins wide receiver Dekel Crowdus and offensive lineman Jager Burton as Douglass players wearing the blue and white. In addition safety Ty Bryant in the 2023 class has also pledged to Kentucky. With Key’s commitment UK now has pledges from three of the top four players in Kentucky in 2022.
Where He Fits In
After this season Kentucky loses Josh Ali, who as a “Super Senior” has finally used up his eligibility. In addition it’s entirely possible Wan’Dale Robinson takes a look at the NFL Draft. Of course the Big Blue Nation wants him to stay, however if he does leave then Liam Coen loses a great deal of production for 2022. Furthermore Isaiah Epps is also a senior. Behind those guys there’s a lot of younger players who are very talented but don’t have a lot of experience. A quick look at the 2022 class shows only one other true wide receiver commit which is Brandon White out of Ohio. As a result the opportunity for instant playing time is certainly there.
Again Dane key commits to Kentucky as the Cats get the top in-state player for the 2022 class. With Key’s pledge Kentucky moves up to 16th in the national rankings. They have 16 commitments so far with several more slots to fill.
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