On Friday morning, Kaveion Keys, a Class of 2023 four-star linebacker from Varina High School in Richmond, Virginia, committed to Penn State.
Keys (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), committed to North Carolina in August, decommited earlier in the month and reopened his recruitment. Keys is the No. 4 player in Virginia, the No. 21 linebacker nationally and the No. 278 overall player in his class, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Following Keys’s de-commitment, three of 247Sports’ recruiting analysts; Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong, National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn and Lions247 writer Tyler Calvaruso, projected Keys to commit to Penn State.
Keys is a versatile player that can play outside linebacker in a 4-3 defense or a rush end in a 3-4 defense. He has the frame to add 20-25 pounds without sacrificing his speed and agility. He also plays wide receiver so he will know the route tree as a pass defender in coverage.
Keys is a downhill defender that’s a sure tackler in space and can make plays on ball carriers. He has the speed to get home on opposing quarterbacks when blitzing. Keys will bring Penn State a versatile chess piece that can line up in coordinator Manny Diaz’s defensive scheme playing across from Curtis Jacobs and Abdul Carter.
Carter was part of Penn State’s celebrated 2022 recruiting class and became one of the team’s best players as a true freshman. The ‘22 class also featured three-star Keon Wylie , who associate head coach Terry Smith said “may be the best player on the defensive side” in his post-Signing Day press conference last year.
Keys joins Tony Rojas and Ta’Mere Robinson in the linebacker room for this recruiting cycle. Signing day is this coming Wednesday, Dec. 21.
Twitter: @bwalkerdadon
