NoCal WR rising in the ranks
Wide receiver/safety Aiona Key (6-3 ½, 195, 4.6) from Citrus Heights (Calif.) Mesa Verde currently has 12 offers on his table. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t had a lot of publicity. Key has the ability to play either wide receiver or safety on the next level.
Key benches 250 and recorded a 31-inch vertical jump at the NIKE Camp held in Palo Alto and then he launched a 38-inch vertical at the Alex Van Dyke (former NY Jet) speed and agility camp.
Advertisement
One thing is for sure. Key has the size and jumping ability D-I schools like in their wide receivers.
As a junior, Key caught 16 passes for 450 yards and five touchdowns. On defense he picked off five passes and batted down 15 passes. He also accounted for two sacks.
Key’s on field performance saw him selected first-team all-league and second-team all-state.
Key has offers on the table from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Nevada, Fresno State, UNLV, San Diego State, Wyoming, UTEP, Idaho, Idaho State and Utah State.
Washington is on the verge of offering.
Other schools that are showing interest in Key are Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Nebraska, Penn State, Utah, BYU, Kansas State, Wisconsin, Colorado State, Montana and Montana State.
“I’m looking at each school’s depth chart,” Key said. “I don’t want to go to a school where they are deep with young wide receivers. I want to get on the field.”
“I would also like to stay in the west,” Key said. “Preferably in the Pac-10.”
“My favorite school is UCLA,” Key said. “I always wanted to go there. I have received some letters from UCLA.”
“I have also received letters from USC,” Key said “Washington, Cal and Boise State are high on my list.
Key has attended Nevada’s football camp with his team. He has also attended the NIKE Camp held at Palo Alto and he’s scheduled to attend the Beyond 2000 Elite Camp (B2G) this week being held at the University of Pacific.