Ole Miss transfer, former Oklahoma DB Key Lawrence commits to UCLA

Ole Miss transfer defensive back Key Lawrence has committed to UCLA, he announced via social media. He started his career at Tennessee and Oklahoma, and entered the transfer portal in October as a graduate transfer.

Lawrence appeared in four games for Ole Miss this season before officially entering the transfer portal, totaling just one tackle. That allowed him to preserve a redshirt, meaning he’ll arrive at UCLA with one final year of eligibility.

Before his time with the Rebels, Lawrence played three years at Oklahoma. His biggest year was in 2022 when he had a career-high 58 tackles to go with three tackles for loss, an interception and five passes defended. In 2023, he totaled 44 tackles, for tackles for loss and a career-best two interceptions.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

All told, across his five years in college football, Lawrence has 158 tackles – including 11 tackles for loss – and three interceptions. He is now the seventh transfer commitment for DeShaun Foster and UCLA ahead of Year 2 in the Big Ten.

Key Lawrence played high school football at Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 88 overall player from the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

UCLA went 5-7 in Foster’s first season as head coach after replacing Chip Kelly. The Bruins had an up-and-down go through their inaugural run in the Big Ten, and that led to a coaching shakeup. UCLA parted ways with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after year and later hired Tino Sunseri away from Indiana to replace him.

Sunseri was a key piece of the operation in Indiana this past season as Curt Cignetti took over the program. The Hoosiers ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 438.8 yards of offense per game, and their 43.3 points on average led the league.