LSU is all set to learn whether or not they’ll have the services of one of the nation’s best pass rushers for the 2017 season.
That’s according to Tigers defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who told reporters on Thursday that the coaching staff should learn defensive lineman Arden Key‘s status for the season next week.
“Arden’s been around, so I’ve seen Arden,” Aranda said, according to AL.com. “Arden’s looking good. We get back together next week with a full staff. ... I anticipate at that time that we’ll hear about Arden’s direction and where he’s going and whether he’ll be with us or not.
“I’m very hopeful that he will be.”
Key announced back in February that he would be stepping away from the program this spring “for personal reasons.” It’s been vague as to what those reasons really are or if the edge rusher would even return to the field for LSU in 2017, but it appears we’ll know either way fairly soon. Key himself tweeted last month that he would not be sitting out his upcoming junior year -- leading to speculation that he would indeed be back in the lineup for the Tigers.
Aranda’s comments also seem to indicate things moving in that direction but LSU fans and the rest of the opponents on the schedule will apparently have to wait another week in order to get confirmation on Key’s status for the upcoming season.