Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and revenue sharing are important, there’s no question about that, but relationships also still matter in recruiting. The Indiana Hoosiers kept a strong relationship with wide receiver prospect Lavar Keys, even after he chose the Penn State Nittany Lions over Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers.
When James Franklin was fired from Penn State, Keys became available and pledged to the Hoosiers. The 2026 prospect is a native of Hyattsville, Maryland and a player at DeMatha Catholic. He becomes the 22nd commit of the 2026 class for Indiana and the third wide receiver for the group. Keys took another visit to IU and saw the Hoosiers dismantle UCLA 56-6. He loved what he saw and wasted little time in making his commitment.
“The visit went well, I enjoyed how loud the fans were at the stadium!” Keys told Hoosier Huddle. He spoke glowingly of Mike Shanahan and the offensive system he is excited to be a part of. “It made me wonder what I can do in the offense and they showed how electric they are. That’s the type of scheme I would like to be a part of.”
Lavar Keys has a frame that looks like he’d make for a slot receiver but he has the skillset of a player that would excel on the perimeter. The first thing that stands out when watching film of him is high-level route running. There is a clear understanding of how to use his quickness while adding some change of pace to get open, all while looking under control. Keys has elite short-area burst and quickness and he appears to be adept at creating separation from defenders.
On paper, his biggest limitation would be his size but that doesn’t seem to stop him from excelling with strong hands and a great understanding of how to track the ball when he gets deep. He projects as a player that probably needs a bit of physical development but he regularly plays against high-level competition at DeMatha and excels, meaning he could be ready to step in and help the Hoosiers right away.
He was committed to Penn State and an insider for the Nittany Lions compared his game to that of former Nittany Lion Parker Washington and that’d be a very desirable outcome for Indiana. He joins Walker Bryson (Georgia) and Kortez Rupert (East St. Louis, IL) as receivers in the 2026 class for Indiana and pushes the Hoosiers closer to having a top 25 class nationally.