Two former Kentucky Wildcats wide receivers, Ja’Mori Maclin and Dane Key, have secured opportunities in the NFL. Maclin signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent, while Key inked a deal with the Denver Broncos.
Maclin’s tenure at Kentucky lasted two uneventful seasons after he began his college career at Missouri and later became an All-Conference player at North Texas. Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 190 pounds, he was a three-star recruit in the 2020 class. He took a redshirt year due to COVID, then appeared in just two games during his redshirt freshman season (another redshirt year), recording only one catch for five yards.
After leaving Missouri, Maclin landed at North Texas, where he earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors from the coaches. He played in 14 games, pulling in 16 receptions for 380 yards and two touchdowns, finishing the season second nationally in yards per catch.
As a sophomore, Maclin started all 12 games and was named to the All-AAC Second Team after leading his team with 57 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ranked 31st nationally in receiving yards, and his 11 scores tied for ninth.
Maclin then entered the transfer portal as a highly sought-after prospect, landing on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List and the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List. But his time at Kentucky didn’t unfold as hoped. He committed to play for Liam Coen, which obviously never materialized.
Given Kentucky’s quarterback situation with Brock Vandagriff, it’s somewhat surprising Maclin performed as well as he did as the third receiving option. As a junior, he played in all 12 games with three starts, logging 13 catches for 313 yards and four touchdowns. He also served as the Wildcats’ primary punt returner, bringing back 16 punts for 130 yards. He finished the season strong, raising optimism for a second year.
After a decent but disappointing junior season, Maclin surprisingly chose to return—a decision that may not have paid off. As a senior, he played in 10 games with five starts, managing only 13 catches for 189 yards. Even with Dane Key and Barion Brown gone, Maclin struggled to find his role and dropped in the receiver rotation.
It’s possible Maclin simply isn’t cut out for elite competition. Or perhaps he was hamstrung by a terrible offensive system, poor quarterback play, and a bad offensive coordinator. Time will tell, and we wish Ja’Mori the best.
As for Dane Key, he learned that the grass isn’t always greener through the transfer portal. A former four-star recruit, Key played three seasons at Kentucky before moving to Nebraska. He was born and raised in Lexington, attending Frederick Douglass High School. His father, Donte’, played linebacker and defensive end at Kentucky from 1992 to 1995, and his brother, Devon, was a safety at Western Kentucky.
During his three years at Kentucky, Key appeared in 38 games with 35 starts, catching 126 passes for 1,870 yards and 14 touchdowns. He ranks fifth on Kentucky’s all-time receptions list and 13th in career receiving yards.
Key impressed as a freshman but failed to make a significant sophomore leap, posting numbers very similar to his first year. As a junior, however, he became a team captain and recorded 47 receptions for 715 yards and two touchdowns career highs in catches and yards, both leading the team.
Believing a change was needed, Key transferred to Nebraska as a highly coveted player. But his time with Matt Rhule didn’t go as planned, as his undrafted status shows especially since many expected him to be drafted after his junior season. He finished with 39 catches (his fewest since his freshman year) for 452 yards (a college low) and five touchdowns.
Key had a solid college career but never truly took the next step. Given how badly Kentucky’s offense had declined, it’s hard to fault him for leaving but the move clearly didn’t work out as hoped. Hopefully, this free agent chance will.
Go Cats!
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