Penn State All 105: LB Kaveion Keys Bigger, Looking to be Better in Year II

Penn State is known as”Linebacker U,” and Kaveion Keys is looking to become part of that lineage.

In the 2023 recruiting class, Tony Rojas and Ta’Mere Robinson each committed in July.

Keys had been committed to North Carolina but de-committed a little more than a month before  Signing Day.

He ended up committing to Penn State, and he’s the latest subject of All 105, a Nittany Sports Now series profiling each Penn State football player.

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 230 pounds

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia 

Before Penn State: Kaveion Keys was a team captain for two seasons at Richmond’s Varina High School, helping the team to a state championship as a junior. That junior season was also successful for Keys from an individual standpoint. He was named first-team all-state. In his senior season the next year, Keys finished with 70 tackles (nine for loss) and 11 sacks. He committed to North Carolina in Aug. 2022, but de-committed in December. Five days before signing day, the four-star recruit announced his commitment to Penn State.

2023: Keys redshirted his first season, only appearing in two games. But he impressed the coaching staff enough to earn Developmental Squad Player of the Year along with Jake Wilson.

He was also named the special teams Developmental Player of the Year, an honored he shared with Jace Tutty.

Where he stands: With Penn State running a 4-2-5, it can be argued that there’s less of an emphasis on the linebacker position. Rojas is projected by many to breakout this season, with Kobe King returning to what’s become a comfortable role at MIKE. Penn State also has veteran leader Dom DeLuca coming back, with Robinson also impressing as a young player.

Keys will likely compete with DeLuca for playing time at the SAM position.

A quote by Keys: “It feels good. With the added weight, I feel faster, stronger. At first I thought it was gonna be too much, but I believed in the strength staff and the coaching staff. … I’m right where I want to be for right now. I’m comfortable at that weight. It builds a good confidence level.” — Keys on his weight, which is up from 200 when he enrolled at Penn State in May 2023 to 230, via Tyler Donahue of Lions247

A quote about Keys: When I was on D-squad, it was my job to make sure the tight ends were ready, like Tyler Warren, Theo Johnson and Brenton Strange. I always made sure it was my job to make them ready for each week. And I told him to have that same mindset. He really took that to heart and he was playing fast. He was making plays for D-squad and he really took it the right way.” — Dom DeLuca on Keys’ development via Lions247

More All 105s

LS Tyler Duzansky

LB Jackson Prytts

TE Tyler Warren

LB Tyler Elsdon

DE Mason Robinson 

LB Kobe King

S Patrick Williams 

LB Anthony Speca

S Jashaun Green

DT Ty Blanding

LB Winston Yates

LB Beckham Dee

WR Feyisayo Oluleye

DE Zuriah Fisher

LS Blaise Sokach—Minnick

RB Tyler Holzworth 

DE Dani Dennis-Sutton

S Kolin Dinkins 

WR Logan Cunningham

LB Kari Jackson

RB Amiel Davis

S Karson Kiesewetter

DT Zane Durant

RB Cameron Wallace

S Lamont Payne

RB Quinton Martin 

RB Corey Smith

LB Ta’Mere Robinson 

CB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter

S Vaboue Toure

DE Mylachi Williams 

QB Jack Lambert

WR Josiah Brown

DE Jameial Lyons

TE Joey Schlaffer

QB Ethan Grunkemeyer

CB Elliot Washington

TE Khalil Dinkins

DE Amin Vanover 

LB Tyrece Mills

QB Jaxon Smolik

S DaKarri Nelson

LB Tony Rojas

RB Kaytron Allen

CB Jon Mitchell

WR Anthony Ivey

DE Abdul Carter

RB Nicholas Singleton

QB Beau Pribula 

WR Tyler Johnson

CB Zion Tracy

WR Kaden Saunders

WR Trey Wallace 

S Zakee Wheatley

CB Cam Miller

WR Omari Evans

CB A.J. Harris

CB Jalen Kimber

WR Julian Fleming 

S KJ Winston

WR Liam Clifford

S Jaylen Reed 

LB Dom DeLuca