12/16/2022 football Edit

2023 LB Kaveion Keys announces commitment to Penn State

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • Happy Valley Insider

Editor

Penn State Football’s hot steak on the recruiting trail continues. On Friday, 2023 LB Kaveion Keys announced his commitment to Penn State, the Nittany Lions' third commitment of the week.

Keys' commitment marks the end of the Nittany Lions' long-time recruitment of the Richmond (VA) native. After hosting the three-star prospect on campus for an official visit this past summer, Keys would commit to North Carolina over Penn State and Texas A&M.

Despite that commitment, the Nittany Lions never stopped pushing for Keys. James Franklin and his staff kept on top of the outside linebacker prospect, consistently staying in communication and letting him know just how much he was wanted in Happy Valley.

READ ADAM FRIEDMAN’S INTERVIEW WITH KEYS ON HIS COMMITMENT TO PENN STATE.

Those efforts would result in a decommitment last week from North Carolina for Keys and the Nittany Lions immediately became the favorite to land the 6-foot-3 prospect. After his decommitment, the Varina High School standout took an official visit to Virginia Tech last weekend. While the visit went well, the Nittany Lions' remained comfortably in the lead, ultimately leading to Friday morning's commitment.

Keys joins a linebacker haul for the Nittany Lions of four-star Fairfax (VA) prospect Tony Rojas and four-star in-state prospect Ta'Mere Robinson. He is the Nittany Lions' 22nd commitment overall and sixth from the state of Virginia. He joins the previously mentioned Tony Rojas as well as high-four star OL Alex Birchmeier, WR Carmelo Taylor, OL Anthony Donkoh, and ATH Mathias Barnwell.

It also means the Nittany Lions have landed four of the top eight prospects in the 2023 recruiting cycle out of Virginia. Keys and the remainder of Penn State's 2023 recruiting class is expected to sign on Wednesday as the Early Signing Period opens.