Penn State Freshmen Intros -- Linebacker Kaveion Keys
For much of the recruitment of Kaveion Keys it seemed unlikely he would end up a Nittany Lion. The recruitment of Keys was one that seemed to never slowdown, even after he announced his first commitment, and in the end the Nittany Lion coaching staff won out.
Keys made it to campus for an official visit in late June. Coming out of the visit, he was telling a lot of people around him and in the Lasch Building that he would be committing to Penn State. However, when he committed in August the North Carolina Tar Heels were the pick.
Fast forward to the fall, and Keys popped up on campus for an unofficial visit for a game. Once again, the logic seemed to point toward things trending upward for the Nittany Lions, but Keys remained committed to the Tar Heels.
Then in early December, Keys pulled the trigger to de-commit from North Carolina. A little over a week later he committed to the Nittany Lions and the three-star Virginia native would go on to sign with Penn State five days after his commitment.
Where does Keys fit on the roster?
Keys brings plus athleticism to the linebacker room. His speed and quickness can be borderline elite at the linebacker position. That said, he will likely need to add some more six to his frame before he is ready to contribute in the Big Ten.
That said, it would not be a surprise to see Keys make an impact on special teams this season. Keys is unlikely to be ready to crack the two deep this season, but he should be more than ready to be a special teams contributor.
The question for the Penn State coaching staff then becomes do you want to burn a redshirt for Keys to mostly play special teams? The answer to that is likely no. But if Keys can show over the summer and into camp he is ready to handle 10 or so defensive snaps per game, that could change.
Ultimately, Keys looks like a player who will get his four regular season games and the bowl game to preserve his redshirt. In these games Keys will likely be a special teams warrior and may even have a splash play or two on defense.
In a year or two down the road, Keys will likely be a big contributor at linebacker for Penn State. It would not be a stunner to see him in the two deep in 2024 and earning a starting role by 2025. Keys can be a good one at Linebacker U.
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