Notre Dame Football: How will Lawrence Keys III fit?
By Jacob Wilson
Notre Dame football has been quite active on National Signing Day, with Lawrence Keys III being the latest in a string of February signings for the Irish.
After putting together one of the nation’s strongest recruiting classes in 2017, the Irish have maintained that pace after posting yet another solid group in 2018. Among the Irish’s National Signing Day signees is Lawrence Keys III, a wide receiver out of New Orleans who has the potential to pay immediate dividends.
Keys, a three-star recruit out of McDonogh 35 High School, will join an Irish recruiting class that already features a significant amount of skill players. As of now, Keys is the fourth wide receiver to sign with Notre Dame, joining four-star prospects Kevin Austin, Braden Lenzy, and Micah Jones. With each player boasting his own respective strengths, the Irish will have a lot to play with come the 2019 season.
After watching some of Keys’ film, it’s abundantly clear that he has the talent to contribute either now or in the future for Notre Dame. What’s most obvious is his blazing speed, but Keys’ route running and awareness are notable as well. Keys was utilized as a kick returner during his time in high school, setting up a potential battle between him and Lenzy in the wake of C.J. Sanders’ expected departure.
Despite lining up on the outside for the majority of his snaps, Keys may be better suited as a slot receiver. Much like Lenzy, Keys lacks some of the size to play consistent snaps on the outside, but his exceptional route running and vision help make him a solid option in the slot. Once again, it may be Lenzy and Keys battling it out for a position made vacant by the dismissal of Kevin Stepherson.
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Needless to say, there are quite a few spots for Keys on the Irish, but all signs point to him fighting against Lenzy for snaps. However, Keys appears to be a much more refined receiver, perhaps making snaps in the slot his to lose. Regardless, we’ll get a much better idea of Keys’ standing on the team when the Blue and Gold game rolls around this spring.