Dane Key – Devy Deep Dive

Dane Key (WR – Nebraska)        6’3” 210 lbs         2026 NFL Draft Eligible

We have another Devy spotlight article on the docket today, this time covering Dane Key, former Kentucky wide receiver who has transferred to Nebraska for his senior year. Could Key develop into a legitimate fantasy asset for our Dynasty teams down the line? Let’s dig into his resume and find out. 

High School 

Dane Key attended Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky, as a consensus four-star prospect. His senior season was his most productive, finishing the year with 53 receptions, 959 yards, and nine touchdowns. Key’s work on the gridiron in 2021 earned him the 5A Kentucky Player of the Year award. He was rated the top prospect in Kentucky by ESPN and 247Sports, and earned All-State honors in his junior and senior years.

Key received offers from a long list of top Power 4 programs, including Oregon, Michigan, Texas, and Tennessee. He ended up staying in his home state and signing to play for HC Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats.  

Kentucky (2022-2024)

Key was an immediate producer at Kentucky, finishing his true freshman season third on the team in receptions (37), second in receiving yards (519), and first in receiving touchdowns (6). He and Barion Brown handled much of the receiving work for QB Will Levis in 2022, both playing as true freshmen. Key was an Honorable Mention Freshman All-American and began receiving a lot of buzz in Devy circles following the 2022 season (although not as much as Barion Brown).

Key did not make the jump many expected in Year 2. Much of this can likely be attributed to the decline in quarterback play, as Levis moved on to the NFL ranks. Key posted 68 targets, 42 receptions, 631 yards, and six touchdowns through 13 games as a sophomore. Key, Brown, and Tayvion Robinson posted nearly identical numbers across the board in 2023. 

Though Key’s touchdown total took a big hit in 2024, this past season was arguably his best thus far, at least from an analytical standpoint (I’ll cover this in the next section). He led the team by a huge margin in targets (92), receptions (47), and receiving yards (715). Unfortunately, this was the worst quarterback play Key had dealt with in his college career, which severely capped his upside from a raw production standpoint. 

Analytics

Let’s take a look at how Dane Key has performed from an efficiency standpoint year over year. 

As you can see from the chart above, Key’s 2024 season was far superior to 2022 and 2023 from an efficiency standpoint. Before 2024, Key had not achieved a 20% target rate (TPRR) or 2.0 yards per route run (YPRR). However, he crushed those marks this past season, posting over 30% TPRR and nearly 2.5 YPRR. The contested-target rate of 26% over his career is quite concerning. You could argue some of this was due to quarterback play, but Key’s worst contested target rate by season came with Will Levis under center. Key saw a spike in his drop rate in 2023, but followed that up with a solid season in 2024. 

Film

Starting with the Dane Key’s strengths on tape, I love his body control and spatial awareness along the sidelines. He’s shown the ability to contort his body and make circus catches while making sure he gets a foot down in play. Key displays well above-average athleticism and has long, lanky arms that give him a large catch radius. Key can confidently catch the football away from his body and has very strong hands overall. 

Looking at his weaknesses, Key is mostly a non-factor after the catch. He’s averaged under 4.0 yards after the catch per reception (YAC/REC) over his college career, and is not overly elusive in the open field. Key lacks some play strength to fight through tackles and sometimes gets jammed against press coverage. While he’s reliable in contested-catch situations, Key has trouble separating deep and lacks true breakaway speed.

Dynasty/Devy Value

I do like the move to Nebraska for Dane Key. This was the right decision in terms of improving his future NFL Draft value. He should have a massive QB upgrade in Dylan Raiola and will be the clear WR1 for the Huskers in 2025. 

Key is currently my Devy WR28 and my 72nd overall Devy prospect. In terms of 2026 draft-eligible prospects, I have Key as my WR13 overall right now. He absolutely has the opportunity to move into the Top 10 and even be in the Top 5 discussion with a big 2025 season at Nebraska. I need to see more from Key as a separator and a playmaker after the catch this coming season to have real confidence in his ability at the next level. The athleticism and raw ability are undeniable; he just needs to piece it all together now. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding