UK wide receiver Key wants to make ‘diamonds’ this season

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, August 28, 2024

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Dane Key has played for three offensive coordinators in his collegiate career and the junior wide receiver isn’t worried about the offensive coordinator turnover that has been a consistent theme in Mark Stoops’ tenure as Kentucky’s coach.

It didn’t take Key long to create a positive dialogue with Bush Hamdan, Kentucky’s third offensive coordinator in three years. The player and coach hit it off almost immediately and Key likes Hamdan’s approach in practice.

“I fit in really good with him,” Key said. “I like to hear what he has to say after each and every practice, whether it’s a good thing — if I had a good day at practice — or whether I had a bad day at practice. I like to just stay level-headed and just keep on improving.”

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Key, who enjoyed a standout prep career at Frederick Douglass High School, doesn’t feel any pressure going into his third season at Kentucky. In his first two seasons with the Wildcats, Key has played in 26 games and started 24 those contests. He has made 79 catches for 1,155 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“I don’t feel any pressure,” he said. “I just feel like pressure makes diamonds. So, let’s go out there like diamonds.”

Learning a new system has become the norm for Key. Throughout the process, he has learned that “all offenses are the sane.”

“It’s just how you call it — just learning a different name for what we used to call it,” he said. “That’s pretty much all that we’ve had to do is just learning the different a different terminology.”

He added the adjustments haven’t been difficult but said it takes time to getting into a flow of the new offensive schemes.

“It’s just something you have to practice,” he said. “If you want to get better at something, you have to practice it every day. I feel like that’s what I’ve really been trying to do is just practice, practice the offense — not just learning in my position, but trying to learn everybody’s position on the field.”

Key also will be playing for a third signal-caller, this time Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff. Like Hamdan, Key has created a bond with Vandagriff.

“Brock — I like that guy,” Key said. “He’s a hard worker. And you know, just when I get here, I see Brock is getting here already. When I’m leaving, I see Brock still there. That’s what you like to see about your quarterback. I think he might sleep there.”

Within his own position group. Key said the wide receivers have plenty of potential.

“I think this is the closest room that we’ve had,” he said. “that connection can go a long way. You know, celebrating each other. When one makes a play, everybody’s celebrating with them. I’m just super excited. I think it’s an experienced room and, I’m just super happy to be a part of that room.”