Football signee Arden Key has not yet been admitted to LSU, TSD learned Thursday during an interview with Tommy Moffitt, the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator.
Moffitt, appearing on “Bumper to Bumper Sports with Ben Love” on 103.7 FM (KLWB) in Lafayette, detailed the progress of various freshmen in summer workouts over the last two weeks since the newcomers reported for classes.
Key, a four-star defensive end from College Park, Ga., was not among them.
“I haven’t seen Arden yet,” Moffitt said. “He is still working on getting into school. So I haven’t seen Arden yet.”
Standing 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Key ranked as the No. 9 defensive end in the country by Scout and was the top player at his position from the state of Georgia.
Key, at one time committed to South Carolina, is considered the first recruit pulled in by first-year defensive line coach Ed Orgeron. An athletic pass-rusher who totaled 15.5 sacks in his senior season, Key is expected by many to compete for playing time in year one as LSU is replacing bookend starters Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco.
His development toward that end has now been put on hold.
According to an LSU official with knowledge of the situation, Key is still trying to get things squared away academically and admitted. There is no timeline on Key’s process, but the program is still very much counting on him and expecting his arrival prior to football season.
LSU is also without two additional members of its 2015 class in offensive lineman Chidi Valentine-Okeke and junior college defensive back transfer Jeremy Cutrer, both previously reported.
UPDATE (FRI, 2 PM): Scout’s Chad Simmons has learned that Key is dealing with a fairly minor transcript issue.
-Ben Love