Dane Key has officially left the SEC for the Big Ten, committing to Nebraska on Tuesday in a move that will beef up the Cornhuskers’ wide receivers room as they try to build weapons around quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Key transferred from Kentucky, which was surprising if for no other reason that he is a Lexington native who grew up a huge Wildcats fan. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a Nebraska jersey with the No. 6 that he wore at Kentucky.

 

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A post shared by Dane Key (@dane6k_)


Now, the Kentucky lifer is trading in Big Blue for Big Red starting next fall. Key was a 4-star recruit out of high school from just minutes away from campus who was also the top-ranked player from the state of Kentucky, so this transfer really hurts the Wildcats who were already reeling after a 4-8 season in 2024.

During his 3 seasons at Kentucky, Key showed flashes of becoming a big-time weapon. He had 715 yards receiving on 47 catches and 2 touchdowns during what became his final season in Lexington. Key had 42 catches for 636 yards receiving and 6 TDs in 2023, and he made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2022 with 37 catches for 519 yards and 6 scores.

But after a lack of victories while wearing a Kentucky uniform, Key is changing his colors to red in joining a Nebraska program that could be on the rise with Raiola back at the helm in 2025.