Austin Keys
American football player (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austin Mylek Keys (born April 3, 2002) is an American professional football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and Auburn Tigers.
Collins, Mississippi, U.S.
| No. 53 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | April 3, 2002 Collins, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Listed weight | 244 lb (111 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Seminary (Seminary, Mississippi) | ||||||
| College | |||||||
| NFL draft | 2025: undrafted | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 11, 2025 | |||||||
| |||||||
Early life
Keys attended Seminary High School located in Seminary, Mississippi. He was rated as a three-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Ole Miss Rebels.[1]
College career
Ole Miss
As a freshman in 2020, Keys took a redshirt.[2] In 2021, he recorded 12 tackles in six games before an injury cut his season short.[3] In 2022, Keys notched 39 tackles with three and a half being for a loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.[4] After the season, he entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[5]
Auburn
Keys transferred to play for the Auburn Tigers.[6] He made his Auburn debut in the 2023 season opener, where he made the start, notching two tackles in a win over UMass.[7] In week 11, Keys put up three tackles, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble versus Vanderbilt.[8] He finished the 2023 season, playing in eight games due to injury, where he recorded 30 tackles with three for a loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.[9] During the 2024 season, Keys tallied 39 tackles and two pass deflections.[10]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1.89 m) | 229 lb (104 kg) | 31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.63 s | 1.64 s | 2.69 s | 4.44 s | 7.41 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | 21 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
Minnesota Vikings
After not being selected in the 2025 NFL draft, Keys signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent.[13] He made the initial 53-man roster on August 26, 2025. He was one of the seven undrafted free agents that made the Vikings roster.[14][15] Keys was waived on December 31.[16]
Arizona Cardinals
On January 1, 2026, Keys was claimed by the Arizona Cardinals off waivers.[17]