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Indiana transfer defensive back Christopher Keys commits to Mississippi State football

Mississippi State football has put an emphasis on defensive backs in the transfer portal, and it's proving worthwhile so far. The latest addition: Indiana transfer Christopher Keys who committed to MSU on Sunday.

Keys is the third transfer portal addition for MSU since the end of the regular season. He joins defensive backs Khamauri Rogers (Miami) and Ray'Darious Jones (LSU).

Like Rogers and Jones, Keys is returning to his native state. Keys is a Collins, Mississippi, native who was a three-star prospect out of Collins High School in the 2020 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

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Keys spent the last three seasons at Indiana, where he appeared in 14 games with two starts. He redshirted his freshman season in 2020, though he did participate in three games − including an Outback Bowl loss against Ole Miss.

Keys appeared in two games in 2021, but his year was cut short by a season-ending injury. According to a report by the Indianapolis Star, Keys had two surgeries in the span of a few months. One was a scheduled offseason shoulder surgery. The other was to address the torn ACL that ended his season.

In 2022, he finally got a chance to showcase his skills. Keys recorded 15 tackles for the Hoosiers with a pass breakup against Michigan − his first career start.

Keys, who is listed as a corner back on IU's depth chart, could help Mississippi State fill the loss of All-America corner Emmanuel Forbes who declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Christopher Keys commits to Mississippi State football, Zach Arnett