“Winners win” is one of sports’ oldest and simplest adages. For LSU linebacker Davhon Keys, winning is a habit.
As a consensus four-star recruit coming out of Aledo, Texas, Keys was a three-time state champion with the Aledo High School Bearcats. He describes the final game of his decorated high school football career as his favorite football memory.
“That game was like the stuff you see in a movie,” Keys said. “Our team for my senior year was the closest group we had out of all of my four years. It was a brotherhood. I have known a lot of those teammates since elementary school. I also got Defensive Player of the Game and I was invited to the All-American Bowl on the field right after the game. I was literally celebrating with my teammates in front of the trophy when I got the invite. It was the ultimate football moment.”
The All-American Bowl annually features the top 100 high school players in the country. After playing in the game, Keys moved to Baton Rouge to play for LSU in 2024. As a freshman, he didn’t immediately see the field. However, when an opportunity emerged, Keys rose to the occasion by recording a pick-six against Baylor in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl.
“The Texas Bowl was the game where I started to feel comfortable,” Keys said. “I had just moved to the Star position. It was my fifth start playing in that spot. I was really starting to get a better feel for the game. Honestly, for the pick-six I was just in the right spot at the right time. The running back didn’t make the right play and I saw the ball pop up. I just thought ‘don’t drop it,’ and I caught it. I ran as hard as I could and took it to the crib.”
The following season, Keys made the most of his opportunities once again. With starting linebacker Whit Weeks missing the majority of the 2025 season, Keys was given a much more prominent role as a sophomore. He recorded a career-high 15 tackles in the Tigers’ Week 3 win against Florida. That standout individual performance coincided with an incredible overall effort by the Tiger defense, which recorded five interceptions on a Saturday night in Death Valley.
“Whit Weeks actually started that game but he got ejected for targeting on the third [defensive] play,” Keys said. “The defense had a great week of preparation leading into the game. I had my number called early on, coming in for Whit. I knew exactly what to expect. I just wanted to make sure that there was zero drop-off when I went in.”
Keys has spent two seasons in purple and gold, and time and time again, he has displayed the same winning characteristics from his high school days. Entering 2026, he will have a new linebackers coach, co-defensive coordinator Chris Kiffin, brother of head coach Lane Kiffin. This change is due to the former linebackers coach, defensive coordinator Blake Baker, moving to the Star position group.
“The switch was pretty smooth,” Keys said. “(Chris) Kiffin is a former NFL guy. He has a lot of high-level experience. He knows how to get his messages through to his players. The main difference between him and Coach Baker is their approaches to teaching. For example, Coach Kiffin is very big on the chutes. He really wants us to keep our knees bent and our pad level to stay low. Coach Baker concentrated more on our footwork. The concepts and fundamentals are all the same, though.”
Despite the positional change, Baker remains the Tigers’ defensive coordinator and will still handle defensive play-calling duties, which bodes well for Keys.
“I have a really good relationship with Coach Baker,” Keys said. “I’m going into my third season with him. I know the defense really well. I feel like he has a lot of trust in me to know what to do on every play and to even help my teammates get lined up properly.”
The LSU linebacker room returns all but one player from last season. The Tigers also added transfer TJ Dottery into the mix.
“We want as many guys to play as possible,” Keys said. “All of the linebackers have improved drastically. We have a lot of experience with me, Whit, and TJ.”
Hopes are sky high for the Tigers in 2026 with first-year head coach Lane Kiffin. Keys enters his junior season prepared to help LSU meet its lofty expectations. Throughout his career, he has consistently made winning plays. Now, with collegiate experience, trust, and a talented group around him, Keys’ success shouldn’t surprise anyone.