4-star RB Ty Keys breaks Mississippi single-game rushing record in win

As Poplarville (MS) got a win over Kiln Hancock Friday night, Ty Keys made history. The 4-star running back broke Mississippi’s single-game rushing record.

Keys ran for 546 yards on 17 carries, surpassing the state’s record of 543 yards in a single game, set by Jaley Adams in 2015. He also had eight touchdowns on Friday as Poplarville got the 60-54 win to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Keys is one of the top 2027 running backs as he goes through his junior season. A four-star prospect, he is the No. 135 overall player and No. 10-ranked running back in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

Poplarville entered Friday’s game at No. 50 in the Mississippi On3 Massey Ratings. The Hornets are coming off a close win over Newton County in Week 3 and won another close one in Week 4, though this one saw plenty of offense between Poplarville and Hancock.

Mississippi State has been in pursuit of Keys through this recruiting cycle, and Maroon and White Daily’s Paul Jones said last month he expects the four-star running back to make multiple trips to Starkville this season. Keys’ list of offers not only includes the Bulldogs, but also Power 4 teams such as Ole Miss, Penn State and Oregon. Jackson State has also offered.

Ty Keys took a visit to Mississippi State over the summer and spoke with Maroon and White Daily about his offseason as he looked to take a leap forward as a junior. He focused on improving his body, putting on some weight and logging a quicker 40-yard dash time.

“It’s been a good summer,” Keys said in early August. “I’m up to 210 pounds and running a 4.4 forty now. I’ve been trying to get my legs bigger and my upper body is huge right now. We’ve been doing a lot of conditioning and I’ve been doing speed and agility things outside of our conditioning. A lot of sand and running hills.”