Indiana football snatched the hearts of Penn State eight days ago off Omar Cooper Jr's epic catch. Now IU and Curt Cignetti siphoned a wide receiver once committed to the Nittany Lions.
Lavar Keys joined the long list of decommits following James Franklin's firing. The class of 2026 WR is now heading to the Hoosiers, with Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals dropping his commitment graphic Sunday.
“Bloomington, I'm home!” were three words Keys shared in announcing his flip to Indiana.
Keys comes to IU via Landover, Maryland where he became the state's No. 20 overall prospect per On3/Rivals. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder adds a new field stretcher for Cignetti and the vaunted Hoosiers offense.
New Indiana WR explains why offense is a fit over Penn State
The DeMatha Catholic wideout told Brian Dohn of 247Sports why he chose IU over PSU. Keys raved about the usage part that energizes him about playing for Cignetti and company.
“Using me in different ways,” Keys explained. “Catching the screen, beating guys with my speed, and just using me how DeMatha uses me now. Knowing some of the plays we use now, and me seeing them on the screen with the meetings we had, it was similar. It could be me on the next level.”
Keys originally chose Penn State back in Aug. 2024. However, Franklin's dismissal altered the 2026 and 2027 recruiting classes at State College.
Other power conference programs like IU have taken advantage of Penn State recruits reopening their process. North Carolina rose as one in landing defensive back David Davis.
Indiana, meanwhile, now sits at 23 verbal commitments with the early signing period still less than a month away. Keys added he plans to sign with Indiana on Dec. 3. He's the third wideout to choose the Hoosiers during the '26 recruiting cycle. Indiana currently has the nation's No. 29 overall class per 247Sports and No. 32 by On3/Rivals.
