Penn State continues torrid 2026 run by adding WR Lavar Keys
Penn State has made another splash in the Class of 2026. Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic wide receiver Lavar Keys is the latest junior to pick the Nittany Lions. He does so fresh off an unofficial visit to State College for last weekend’s Lasch Bash. Keys is the program’s sixth commitment in the next cycle and the fourth since July 27.
“Penn State is Penn State, that’s my dream school and I just look at Penn State bigger than a lot of others,” he told BWI. “So I’m just excited about that.
“I just wanted to end all this and just be a Nittany Lion already. I’m ending this now because I have what I want and this is what I want to do. This is who I want to play for, for the next three to four years of college. Penn State is just amazing, the coaching staff and atmosphere… Everything about it is amazing.”
Head coach James Franklin’s program immediately became a front-runner for the 5-foot-10, 165-pound recruit after offering following a strong camp performance last Saturday. Speed is the name of his game: The receiver ran a 4.5-second 40 and a 4.3-second shuttle at the Baltimore Under Armour Camp in May. That piqued many program’s interest, including Penn State, who moved on the junior after watching him work in person.
“I was very excited,” Keys told BWI. “Penn State has been my dream school for years, especially since I’m named after LaVar Arrington. That’s just a blessing. Being able to be offered by Penn State was just amazing. God answered my prayer.”
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It’s no surprise, then, that the Maryland native wasted no time committing. He did so over offers from the likes of Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, among others.
“What I loved about Penn State this weekend was the coaching staff and facilities,” Keys said. “Being able to meet the whole coaching staff on both sides of the ball was amazing. They made me feel like I belonged there, and that was just a blessing because it’s my favorite school.
“Learning from coach [Marques] Hagans boosted a lot with my game. I learned a lot of new things so I could be better on the field and off the field. But the facilities stood out the most. That was one of the best facilities I’ve ever experienced. It was just a blessing to be there for a weekend to learn and see new things.”
Keys has a three-star rating from On3.
More on the Penn State Class of 2026
As noted above, Keys is just the latest part of a scorching hot recruiting run in the next cycle for Penn State. Pa., native and running back Messiah Mickens was long the program’s lone junior verbal commitment. Then, California four-star quarterback Troy Huhn joined him back in June. Now, the group stands at six, as the Lions have gone on to land Delaware three-star receiver Jahsiear Rogers (who committed July 27), four-star Harrisburg offensive lineman Kevin Brown (July 27), West Virginia four-star edge Daniel Jennings (July 31), and now Keys.
