Dane Key knows what he can for UK this season

Dane Key celebrated in the end zone after his touchdown catch in the spring game. (Photo by Vicky Graff)

Dane Key comes from a football family (his father, Donte, played at UK and his brother, Devon, is now with the Kansas City Chiefs) and pulls no punches when he evaluates his play.

That’s why it was not a big surprise Tuesday for him to admit the transition from Frederick Douglass High School to Kentucky after enrolling in January was not all that easy.

“It was overwhelming at first,” said the freshman receiver Tuesday. “I called my parents and just talked to them about how confused I could get sometimes.”

Quarterback Will Levis has not been confused by what he’s seen from Key — including a 22-yard touchdown catch in the Blue-White Game last week.

“He’s just fluid. He’s a guy who’s going to go out and run routes. He’s going to go up and make the plays,” Levis said.  “He’s a natural ball catcher, runs good routes, and has a good feel. He’s only going to get better and we’re going to grind with his summer to bring him to the levels he can.”

Key also had a 21-yard catch in the Blue-White Game and figures to certainly be in receivers coach Scott Woodward’s playing rotation next season.

“Scoring that touchdown was really just something special,” Key said. “Being in that end zone, the blue end zone and my state is really just unbelievable and a great feeling.”

The 6-3 Key told media members Tuesday his goal is to be an all-SEC freshman receiver, an indication he certainly thinks he will be on the field providing a big target for Levis.

“I know that I can do it,” Key, who picked UK over Michigan and South Carolina, said. “I just want to show myself that I’m what they brought here, and I can do what they thought I could do. Possibly even better.”

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops is not one to go overboard with praise for any true freshman for just a few months. However, he made it clear after the Blue-White Game that he likes Key’s potential.

“For a guy that could be playing spring sports in high school right now, he’s very mature in his approach,” Stoops said. “He’s been very consistent. With young guys, you have a tendency to have some ups and some downs and, of course, that’ll be the case with him, but he’s more consistent than most younger people I’ve seen.”

“I like the way he approaches it, he’s very mature and he also has a really good feel for it. The talent’s there but the understanding of the game, he has that.”