Dane Key (born July 1, 2003) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers. Key was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Early life
Key grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and attended Frederick Douglass High School.[1] As a senior, he caught 53 passes for 959 yards and nine touchdowns and won the Paul Hornung Award as the best high school football player in Kentucky.[2][3] Key committed to play college football at Kentucky over offers from Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, and Western Kentucky.[4]
College career
Kentucky
Key joined the Kentucky Wildcats as an early enrollee.[5][6] He entered his freshman season as a starter at wide receiver.[7] Key finished the season with 37 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns.[8] In his sophomore season he was a dominant force outside finishing with 42 receptions for 636 yards and 6 touchdowns. The following year in 2023 Key ended the season with 47 receptions for 715 yards but just 2 touchdowns.
On December 4, 2024, Key announced that he would enter the transfer portal.[9]
Nebraska
On December 24, 2024, Key announced that he would transfer to Nebraska.[10] Key then finished the regular season with 35 receptions for 424 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) |
203 lb (92 kg) |
32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
4.60 s | 1.65 s | 2.67 s | 4.66 s | 7.01 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) |
10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | |
| All values from Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
After going unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, Key signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent, joining his brother Devon.[13]
Personal life
Key’s father, Donte Key, played linebacker at Kentucky.[14] His older brother, Devon, played at Western Kentucky and is also a member of the Denver Broncos.[15]
References
- ^ Hale, Jon (September 10, 2022). “What to know about Kentucky football star freshman Dane Key after Florida touchdown”. Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Gershon, Aaron (April 12, 2022). “Dane Key looking like instant contributor for Wildcats offense”. 247Sports.com. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Moss, Steve (December 2, 2021). “Key wins Paul Hornung Award”. WKYT.com. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ “Top receiver Dane Key commits to UK over Michigan and Oregon”. Lexington Herald Leader. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ “Key ready to get going with Kentucky football team”. The State Journal. January 7, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ “Kentucky football: Dane Key, Barion Brown, Josh Kattus, key players”. Courier-Journal. August 11, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ “UK freshman Dane Key is making college football look easy”. Lexington Herald Leader. September 18, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Rowland, Justin (January 25, 2023). “Breaking down Dane Key’s record-setting season”. Rivals.com. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ Pilgrim, Jack (December 4, 2024). “Kentucky star WR Dane Key has entered the transfer portal”. On3.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Jacobsen, Austin (December 24, 2024). “Kentucky Transfer Receiver Dane Key Commits to Nebraska”. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ^ “Dane Key College Football Profile”. DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
- ^ “Dane Key RAS”. RAS.Football. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (May 8, 2026). “Broncos sign 13 college free agents”. Denver Broncos. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
- ^ Dawson, Brett (August 12, 2022). “Kentucky football receiver Dane Key leans on family advice”. Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ Vaught, Larry (September 18, 2019). “Dane Key could follow father’s footsteps at UK”. The Daily News. Retrieved October 7, 2022.