INTEL: 2018 WR Lawrence Keys III

Lawrence Keys III‍ holds over 30 offers from programs across the country. The four-star wide receiver prospect from Louisiana has narrowed that list down to Auburn, Houston, LSU, Nebraska, Notre Dame and TCU. 

Recruits can only take five official visits, so at least one schools are getting left out, as Michigan and Ole Miss are also coming in hot after the McDonogh 35 High School speedster. 

We caught up with Keys’ mother, LaTanya Manning, to find out where her son stands with his official visit plans and also what they will be looking at when they hit the road. 

“I spoke to the head coach about how we go about setting up travel plans for his official visits,” Manning told Irish Sports Daily. “He just told me he was waiting for Lawrence to tell him when he was ready to set everything up.” 

As a member of the National Honor Society and Gold Honor Roll at McDonogh 35, Keys has been focused on his studies while trying to maneuver the waters of his senior season and recruiting. 

“Lawrence is still cool about the situation,” stated Manning. “He’s taking everything one day at a time. He knows time is getting close, but he’s focusing on his studies and maintain his GPA. 

“He will take the ACT again on the 28th.” 

On the visits, Manning is looking forward to reconnecting with the coaching staff, but also getting a feel for what life will be like for her son on a deeper level. It’s not just about comfort as Manning will be making sure Keys is taken care of academically and socially. 

“I need to know the coaches and the program,” explained Manning. “I want to find out if they are big on academics. I’ve seen programs where the student-athletes are taking electives and classes they don’t need. I don’t want Lawrence to fall into that category. I want him to do what he needs to do to get his degree. 

“I need to make sure where he will be living and his living arrangements. I need to go over the legalities of the scholarship offer too. I want to know what the stipend is and if the scholarship covers books and stuff too. I have a lot of questions I need to ask on his behalf.” 

Football is definitely part of the decision, as they will be taking a close look at the depth chart and where Keys fits into the offense. 

“I want him to play football and be successful, but I want him to be successful and get a degree as well,” stated Manning. “That’s more important to me. Football is important too. I’m a big football fan, but he has to get his education.

“He knows where I stand with everything. He and I will be on one accord. You want to go somewhere that has your program of study and graduate you. You’re required to do more as a student-athlete and be good at it.” 

As for the Irish, Notre Dame is in line to get one of those official visits. Manning knows Notre Dame checks a lot of the boxes for her son, but at this point, they are looking forward to experiencing it for themselves.  

“It’s not around the corner, but it’s not that far away," said Manning. "We already know Notre Dame is big on academics. I know their football team is televised a lot too.”