Yahoo Finance ‘We’ve got it going over there.’ UK’s new offense sealed the deal for Dane Key.
The addition of Dane Key to Kentucky’s 2022 recruiting class is the latest indicator that an adjustment in offensive philosophy was the right call for Mark Stoops’ program.
Rated as a four-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals, Key’s announcement Thursday night comes amid Liam Coen’s first season running the offense and with the Wildcats working toward a historic regular-season finish. UK is in a much different place now than it was in 2019, when Wan’Dale Robinson — talked about as a program-changing weapon in the same way Key is now — committed to UK but eventually flipped to Nebraska. Other programs are sure to stay in touch with Key, but prying him out of Lexington should prove difficult at this point.
Stoops’ hire of Coen was cited by Key as a major factor in his decision to commit to Kentucky. He kept his decision close to the vest, disclosing it ahead of time to his parents, his brother Devon and a couple of other family members. Key also informed UK’s staff last week.
“Their new offense is definitely what got me over there,” Key told reporters soon after his announcement, which started with a hype video before he revealed a Kentucky shirt underneath a black hoodie he wore. “Coach Coen, he’s got something special. We’ve got it going over there.”
Dane Key is a Kentucky Wildcat. pic.twitter.com/WgA1sOCxPF
— Josh Moore (@JoshMooreHL) October 28, 2021
Key announced his commitment to Kentucky during a ceremony at Frederick Douglass High School. He became the 16th player in the 2022 class to choose Kentucky, and the seventh rated as a four-star prospect by at least one service. His current 247Sports composite score — .9130 — is the highest of any offensive skill player to sign with UK out of high school since Lynn Bowden in 2017 (his was .9307). Former Douglass teammate Dekel Crowdus, who signed with Kentucky during the 2021 recruiting cycle, finished with a .9011 rating.
This season, Key has recorded 31 receptions for 501 yards and five touchdowns at Douglass, which is 9-0 heading into a home game against Boyle County on Friday. The Broncos, coming off consecutive trips to the state semifinals, are the top-rated Class 5A team in the KHSAA’s RPI.
Thursday was also Devon’s birthday. Dane and his family hoped that the former Bryan Station High School and Western Kentucky University standout, now a player for the Kansas City Chiefs, would be able to attend the ceremony but he was unable to make it in person. He was still there virtually via a Zoom call.
“Devon set an example for me to follow and has shown me the work ethic it takes to be a better player,” Dane said.
His dad, Donte, was a tone-setter as well. Donte played at UK in the early 1990s and settled down in Lexington, where he’s coached high school football for more than 20 years. He never pressured Dane to attend UK, but there was hope he might.
“It’s awesome, I can’t lie,” Donte said, before adding with a laugh, “Now he’s just gotta go perform better than I did.”
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