#74 Scott Frantz — Scott Frantz (74) was an offensive lineman who punched above his weight, even relative to his recruiting standings for K-State, Perhaps walk-on junior offensive lineman Alex Key can do so, too? | Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 74th day until the 2025 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State offensive lineman Alex Key.

#74 Alex Key

Redshirt Junior | 6-3 | 300 lbs. | Derby, Kansas

Position: Offensive Line
Previous College: None
Projection: Scout Team
Status: Preferred Walk-On

Alex Key (b. April 2, 2004) is a preferred walk-on offensive lineman from Derby High School majoring in construction science and management. He was a teammate of Dylan Edwards.

Last season, Key played as a reserve offensive lineman against UT Martin, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Cincinnati. He saw time on 19 offensive snaps during the year, including a season-high seven in the season opener, and earned Academic All-Big 12 honors.

Key, a Haysville native who redshirted in 2022 and did not see any game action in either 2022 or 2023, prepped under head coach and former K-State wide receiver Brandon Clark at Derby, where he was rated the 57th-best interior offensive lineman in the nation and ninth-best overall prospect in the state of Kansas for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.

He earned first-team all-state honors as a senior and was named to the Top 11 by both The Topeka Capital-Journal and Sports in Kansas.

Key (and Edwards) helped the Panthers to earn a combined 32-4 record, two state championships and another state title game appearance over his final three seasons.

He walked on at K-State over recruiting interest from Air Force, Dartmouth, Eastern Michigan, Emporia State, Missouri Western, Pittsburg State, Southeast Missouri State, William Jewell, and Butler and Hutchinson community colleges, according to 247Sports.

His sibling, Brady, also attended K-State, as did their parents, Brian and Andrea Key.

Chris Klieman seems high on Alex’s potential to see even more playing time down the line:

Certainly, we can’t forget, I really like how Alex Key is continuing to develop from a physicality standpoint.

Former offensive coordinator Conor Riley, who also was Key’s position coach, agreed:

I really like how Alex Key is continuing to develop from a physicality standpoint.