Penn State lands 4-star linebacker recruit Keys from Virginia

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Linebacker U added another key piece of the puzzle to its recruiting class Friday morning.

Penn State picked up a big commitment from 4-star linebacker Kaveion Keys, who had been pledged to North Carolina before decommitting from the Tar Heels last week.

Keys (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) is from Varina High School in Richmond. He's rated the No. 5 recruit in Virginia and the No. 15 linebacker in the nation by 247Sports.

Keys also had offers from Pitt, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech, among others.

In adding Keys, Penn State's class of 2023 is now up to 22 commits. The Lions have the No. 13 class in the country, per 247, and Keys is a big part of it.

There is only one other linebacker committed in this class -- 4-star Tony Rojas (6-2, 200) from Fairfax, Va.

Penn State currently has a superstar-in-the-making linebacker in Abdul Carter. And perhaps the best defensive player in the NFL is former Penn State star Micah Parsons. So, the program is getting back to its longtime strength of bringing in outstanding linebacking products and developing them very well, something that Keys surely had to find appealing.

Keys also played wide receiver in high school. He made an official visit to Penn State in June, committed to North Carolina on Aug. 29 and then decommitted Dec. 8. Pitt had offered him in May.

Here's the scouting report on Keys from 247Sports:

Possesses frame to add 20-25 pounds and not lose agility, speed or quickness. Defensive leader for state title-winning team as junior. Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. High-level athlete also plays receiver. Gets off quickly at snap. Shows quick hands to keep offensive linemen from getting inside. Can re-direct and move along line of scrimmage. Has speed to get around tackle on blitzes. Has burst to get across the face of offensive tackle. Plays with energy and effort, and is a competitor. Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. Willing to fight through double teams.

Athleticism shows when dropping into coverage. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. Pursues downhill in the flat and chases plays down from behind. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. Strong tackler in space. Uses length well when breaking down. Needs to continue to develop upper body strength to handle physical nature of college game in the box. Has some stack-and-shed ability but needs to continue to develop it. Working on anchoring against run important. Has to continue to work on on technique, including when turning and running laterally. Multi-year starter with possible early-impact ability for Top 20 program. Has NFL draft potential.