Kentucky Football Stars Barion Brown and Dane Key Claim They’re 'The Best Receiver Duo in the Country'

As Liam Coen returns to Kentucky as offensive coordinator, he is excited to have a more balanced receiving room than in 2022, but believes there is still room to improve.

“A lot of the time last year, they were running around as natural athletes and making plays,” he said, “Now, how do we get them to be the best receivers they can be?”

In 2022, Brown caught 50 passes for 628 yards (Kentucky freshman record) and 4 touchdowns, while Key caught 37 passes for 519 yards and 6 touchdowns (Kentucky freshman record). Of course, Brown specialized in the kick return game as well, returning 16 kicks for a total of 440 yards (27.5 average), scoring one touchdown.

Shown by his six touchdowns, Key was Kentucky’s leading red zone target last year, while Brown was a big-play machine. It seems like the best way for Brown and Key to reach their full potential is to just keep getting them the ball.

With Liam Coen making the calls on offense in 2023, Brown and Key are confident they will take the next step.