Three-star Louisiana wide receiver Lawrence Keys announced his intention to sign with Notre Dame on Wednesday, adding one of the final pieces of the 2018 Irish recruiting class. Keys chose the Irish over Texas, marking a major recruiting victory for Brian Kelly and his staff. Keys joins a talented haul of wide receivers for the Irish in the class, including a trio of four-stars in Micah Jones, Kevin Austin and Braden Lenzy.

The Irish already have a pair of playmaking wide receivers on the outside in Austin and Jones, but needed a slot receiver to complete the haul in this year's class. That's where Keys comes into play. The shifty playmaker has great hands and isn't afraid to go over the middle in order to make big plays. That type of player can be a quarterback's best friend and Keys should be a reliable target in key situations in the future. He also continues the team's efforts in Louisiana, marking the second straight year that the Irish have signed a wide receiver out of the state.

After missing out on in-state five-star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, Texas set its sites on Keys and seemed to be very much in the mix after he recently took an official visit. But Notre Dame had been laying the groundwork with Keys for months and ultimately it was too much for the Horns to overcome. Texas has picked up its efforts in Louisiana over the past two cycles, but still isn't to the point where it can steal players like Keys away from programs like Notre Dame.