Notre Dame Football: Breakout Candidates at Offensive Skill Positions

Lawrence Keys III

Nathan:

Keys is another young wide receiver highly regarded by fans and the coaching staff alike. During his first Summer and Fall on campus, Keys left a lasting impression on the staff with his sudden quickness and maturity. The only problem is who’s playing in front of him. However, as a sophomore, Keys should be able to work his way into the rotation and spell Finke from time to time.

If there is ever an injury to Finke — knock on wood — Keys would be the next man up, and the staff would not expect to miss a beat. Keys has the potential and readiness to be a truly feared slot receiver at the Power 5 level. Much like Lenzy, the staff will likely find different ways to use him in the offense this coming year, as more of a rotation at wideout is expected.

Mason:

Another guy who has received seemingly endless praise from Notre Dame coaches is the sophomore slot receiver Lawrence Keys. Keys is player, like Lenzy, that can add a ton of speed to this Notre Dame team. He can offer what Finke does not out of the slot wide receiver position. Finke is a strong route-runner, while Keys is much more of an elusive, shifty kind of threat that can make people miss in the open field. Keys is a strong candidate for being a breakout player due to his playmaking ability. Notre Dame needs playmakers in its offense and Keys is one of them.