In the transfer portal era, roster attrition is inevitable. But some losses hurt more than others. Dane Key’s exit from Kentucky is one of those.
The Lexington native arrived at his dream school with star potential — and for stretches over his three years, he showed exactly why the BBN had high hopes for him. Key leaves Lexington with 126 receptions, 1,870 yards, and 14 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 15 yards per catch for his career, and consistently demonstrated the size, hands, and route-running ability to be one of the best receivers in the SEC. And yet, he never broke 1k or 10 touchdowns in a single season.
The problem? Kentucky's offense never gave him the consistency or stability to fully realize that potential.
In three seasons, Key played under three different offensive coordinators: Liam Coen, Rich Scangarello, and Bush Hamdan. He caught passes from three different quarterbacks. The play-calling was often suspect, the offensive line regressed, and the quarterback room never found steady footing outside of brief flashes. Even when Key put up respectable numbers — like his 42 catches for 715 yards in 2024 — it often felt like the offense was leaving production on the field.
Key himself didn’t mince words in a recent interview with On3’s Pete Nakos:
"“It was just time for a change. I had three different offensive coordinators in three years. I just wanted some consistency. With three different offensive coordinators, I played with three different quarterbacks. It was just time for a change.”"Dane Key
And that's really the heart of the matter. Key’s departure isn’t just about one player leaving — it's a symptom of Kentucky’s larger offensive identity crisis. When Liam Coen was calling plays, Key flashed big-time potential. Under Scangarello, the passing game cratered. Under Hamdan, things never really clicked. The lack of continuity stunted the growth of not just Key, but the entire wide receiver room. And the issues have been since Stoops got at Kentucky. So, you can't really blame the offensive coordinators.
Worse yet, Kentucky’s program philosophy under Mark Stoops only compounded the issue. Stoops has made it clear he prefers a run-first, ball-control approach that limits risk. That conservatism limits wide receiver opportunities, especially for players like Key who thrive in vertical, aggressive passing schemes. When Stoops made the decision this offseason to once again lean even harder into a ground-and-pound offense, it all but guaranteed fewer touches and fewer chances to shine for top-flight wideouts.
Now, instead of playing his senior year at Kentucky, Dane Key will be catching passes from 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola at Nebraska — a school that has sold him on stability, an aggressive passing attack, and an offensive system better suited to his skillset.
Make no mistake: this one hurts. Dane Key was a hometown kid with star potential who wanted to succeed at Kentucky. But offensive instability, coordinator carousel, and a conservative philosophy ultimately drove him out.
You don’t lose players like that and not feel the consequences. The inconsistency cost Kentucky dearly.