Dane Key Continues to Impress in Freshman Campaign

The Lexington native is finding success three games into his collegiate career
Dane Key Continues to Impress in Freshman Campaign
Dane Key Continues to Impress in Freshman Campaign /
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Kentucky wide receiver Dane Key immediately burst onto the scene upon his arrival to campus. Three games into his freshman season, he's officially budded into a hometown star that's a huge reason as to why the No. 9 Wildcats are 3-0 top open the 2022 campaign. 

Key notched season highs on Saturday against Youngstown State with six catches for 90 yards, including a three-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. He has recorded a touchdown catch in each of the first three games of his collegiate career, becoming the first Wildcat to do so since La'Rod King accomplished the feat in 2011.

"He's really good. I mean, he's a good player. He's getting better. We've had a lot of confidence in him. I told you that all the way back from last spring," head coach Mark Stoops said of Key after Saturday's victory. "He just handles himself very well, and he's been consistent, so he's got to stay that way. And we can't have the young guys taking dips, you know, we want them to continue to progress. And I have confidence that he will."

Key's three touchdown catches already ties the UK freshman single-season record, equaling the mark of three by Derek Abney in 2000 and Tommy Cook in 2001. While it's nice to see his name attached to a record so early, the freshman is solely focused on improving moving forward:

“It’s a great feeling but we didn’t play how we wanted to today so there’s a lot to come back and work on,” Key said. “We really started off slow today. We just need to come out with the intensity like we come out with in practice when we’re playing our defense like we do in practices and just come ready to play from the first quarter, the first whistle to the last whistle.”

The hype was considered real surrounding the Frederick Douglass High School product before Big Blue Nation saw him step put on the field. Fans always cheer for the success of the native, but it makes it easier to count on his progression when he earns the seal of approval from the team's quarterback just one week into spring camp. 

"He established himself as a starter a week after spring ball started," Will Levis said on Saturday. "It's just how he carried himself and how he was able to take teaching onto the field, then letting his natural ability go make plays and catch balls and run with it, he made some awesome plays...he's gonna be a big part of our offense, we gotta keep him going." 

Through three games, Key has caught 13 passes for 226 yards and three scores, all of which are tied for first or lead the team.

“I really wanted to, you know, just play a role on the team and just come out and, you know, just make plays when my number is called. It’s just doing what I can do to help the team to win,” he said. 

It's a small sample size, but the Lexington kid is well on his way to finishing his career as a Wildcat with his name splattered all over the program record book. 

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Hunter Shelton
HUNTER SHELTON

Hunter Shelton is a writer for Sports Illustrated-FanNation's Wildcats Today, covering football, basketball, baseball and more at the University of Kentucky. Hunter is a Lexington native and has been on the UK beat since 2021.