SIGNED: WR Lawrence Keys
New Orleans McDonogh 35 receiver Lawrence Keys has submitted his National Letter of Intent to Notre Dame .
RANKINGS
RANKINGS:
Rivals: 3-star
BGI Grade: 4.0
Upside Grade: 4.5
MEASURABLES
Keys recorded a 4.76-second 40-yard dash, a 4.26-second pro shuttle drill and 33.0-inch vertical jump at Nike Football's The Opening Regional New Orleans on March 19,2017.
STATISTICS
SENIOR SEASON: Caught 58 passes for nine touchdowns
JUNIOR SEASON: Caught 50 passes for 975 yards and fourteen touchdowns.
HONORS
SENIOR SEASON (2017)
Named to Nola.com's All-Metro First Team
Named class 4A All-State by the Bastrop Daily Enterprise
Named to The Louisiana Coaches Association's All-State team
Named 4A first team All-State by the Louisiana Sports Writer Association
JUNIOR SEASON (2016)
Named 4A first team All-State by the Louisiana Sports Writer Association
RECRUITMENT
POWER FIVE OFFERS: Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Georgia, Houston, Iowa State, Houston, Kansas, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Keys a Notre Dame target for a long time, picking up an offer from the Irish all they way back on Feb. 23, 2017.
The New Orleans standout always expressed high interest in the Irish throughout his recruitment, but was unable to make an official visit to South Bend until Jan. 19. that visit won over Keys and his mother, and Notre Dame was able to fend off late official visits to Texas and SMU.
Notre Dame was a consistently included school in Keys' top group, thanks in large part to the recruiting efforts of wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander.
NOTABLE
Born on Dec. 9. 1999
Boasts 3.7 GPA
Also runs track at McDonogh 35
Second straight Louisiana WR to sign with Notre Dame (Michael Young, 2017)
Enjoys drawing in the offseason
2018 PROJECTION
The lack of success at receiver last season will result in all jobs being open and every player on the depth chart getting a chance to compete for playing time. Keys has the combination of route running ability, athleticism and ball skills to make an early impact.
BGI ANALYSIS
“Keys plays much faster and quicker than he tested last summer. He is an efficient athlete that gets to full speed quickly and shows smooth and easy movements. Despite his high forty-time, Keys blows past defenders on film and shows big-play ability once he gets the ball in his hands. His sound technique and quick burst off the line help him maximize his athletic skills.
It is obvious that Keys takes his craft seriously. He’s an advanced route runner that shows a very good feel for getting open. His loose hips, quick feet and burst help Keys explode out of his breaks, and his ability to make sudden double moves makes him very hard to guard. Opponents have a very hard time handling him at the line, and Keys is excellent at using body language to set up breaks. The McDonogh 35 standout shows those same traits once he gets the ball in his hand, which makes him dangerous after the catch.
Keys will have to continue getting stronger and he’s not very big, but his overall game is impressive. He has outstanding ball skills and makes tough catches in traffic. He has the body of a slot player but his route running ability, athleticism and ball skills project to the outside positions.” – BGI Football Analyst Bryan Driskell
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