LSU pass rusher Arden Key enters the 2017 college football season with some pretty big expectations resting on his shoulders. We highlighted Key recently as one of the top impact college football defenders coming back in 2017, and his head coach has set the bar about as high as it gets.
Speaking Monday at SEC Media Days, Ed Orgeron said Key can surpass Myles Garrett, who just went No. 1 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.
“He can be (as good), no question. He’s a different player than Myles. I recruited Myles, I have a lot of respect for Myles, and Garrett obviously was the No. 1 player picked in the draft,” Orgeron said, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. “Can Arden reach that status and perhaps surpass it? Yes, he can.”
No pressure, kid.
Nationally acclaimed, he showed tremendous abilities last season as a sophomore, racking up 55 tackles, 11 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss.
So clearly Key has the skills to pay the bills.
Now it’s going to be up to him to convert those skills into another highly productive campaign for the Tigers. One thing he has to overcome, besides the pressure he faces, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Key and the rest of the Tigers this year, which could be a definitive one for Orgeron as the head coach of the program.