Dane Key graded as the third-best wide receiver in the SEC

Here’s a not-so-hot-take: Dane Key is good at football. But you don’t need to ask Ryan Lemond to know this. Trust the non-Key family representatives over at Pro Football Focus (PFF). Through the first five weeks of the college season, they rank Dane Key as the third-best wide receiver in the SEC, coming in with a cumulative grade of 81.7.

For those unfamiliar with PFF, the company is comprised of football analytic wonks who grade every player on every play of every game on a scale between 1 and 100 with 60 being the baseline for stepping onto the field.

Too complicated? Just know that 81.7 is really good. In fact, not only is it third-highest in the SEC, but it ranks him 25th in the country.

Key is behind only Tre Harris of Ole Miss and Ryan Wingo of Texas on the list of the league’s best wideouts, and a strong showing during the second half of the season could further catapult him up the list.

It makes you wonder how high Key might have been if not for Kentucky’s first two games where he caught a combined five balls for 96 yards. Compare that to his most recent two outings where he hauled in 15 receptions for 250 yards and a touchdown.

To go a step further, Key’s 81.7 grade reflects his offensive performance at large, including some meandering run-block numbers. If you only look at his receiving grade (you know, the important one for wide receivers), Key has an 83.4, which places him second in the SEC and 15th in the country.

Enjoy Dane Key while he is here, Big Blue Nation. He’s a good one.