2026 WR Lavar Keys decommits from Penn State

Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic three-star wide receiver Lavar Keys has decommitted from Penn State, he tells Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

He becomes the first member of PSU’s 2026 class to decommit following the firing of head coach James Franklin on Sunday. Keys was in the class since Aug. 2, 2024.

Keys is the No. 828 overall prospect and No. 117 WR in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 19 senior in Maryland.

He entered the day as one of three receiver commits in the fold for the Nittany Lions this cycle. He chose the Big Ten program quickly after landing an offer this summer. He’s even named after former PSU standout LaVar Arrington.

“Penn State is Penn State, that’s my dream school and I just look at Penn State bigger than a lot of others,” he told BWI upon committing. “So I’m just excited about that.”

Keys plays for one of the top high school football programs in Maryland. He also owns offers from the likes of Maryland, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Indiana and Minnesota.

Penn State has also already seen its 2027 class dwindle back down to zero commits. Five-star running back Kemon Spell, four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt and four-star linebacker Gabe Jenkins have also decommitted since Franklin’s firing.

Penn State fires James Franklin

In the middle of his 12th season at the helm, Franklin saw his tenure end after a loss to Northwestern over the weekend.

Franklin leaves State College with a 104-45 record since 2014 when he took the job. He is 128-60 overall as a head coach, which includes his three-year stint at Vanderbilt (24-15). Terry Smith will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.

A gut-wrenching overtime loss to Oregon on Sept. 27 has spiraled into a three-game skid for the Nittany Lions. They went to Los Angeles and lost to a then-winless UCLA team that had just fired its head coach. Northwestern then went to Beaver Stadium and stunned PSU 22-21 on Saturday, dropping the preseason No. 2 team in the nation to 0-3 in Big Ten play and 3-3 overall.

Entering Sunday, the Nittany Lions had 25 commits in their 2026 class that ranks No. 16 nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Of those 25 commits, 11 are four-star prospects.

Rivals is garnering reactions from Penn State commits as the former national title contender navigates what’s quickly turned into a nightmarish season.