5-star WR Tristen Keys flips commitment from LSU to Tennessee

Rivals’ No. 1 ranked receiver Tristen Keys has flipped his commitment from LSU to Tennessee.

The Hattiesburg (Miss.) High standout had been a verbal to the Tigers since March but now becomes pledge No. 24 for head coach Josh Heupel and the staff in the 2026 recruiting class.

Keys ranks as the nation’s No. 7 prospect regardless of position. He also strongly considered Texas A&M, Miami and Alabama during his process.

“Tennessee has been there a long time,” Keys said. “I’ve always loved the coaches. Every part of the coaching staff from the offense and defense. The environment, the people, the fans, you can see them going crazy. That’s the type of love I want. You can see they want me there.

“And they got the No. 1 quarterback (Faizon Brandon). I’d say the players on the team. Every time I go there I’d say just the coaches and the players made it feel like home. I got that type of relationship with them. I feel it’s love.”

Kelsey Pope was the lead recruiter for Keys who becomes the jewel of a class that previously checked in at No. 12 nationally.

“Coach Heup, Coach Pope, them my dawgs,” Keys said. “We built tight relationships. I got that relationship with them it’s like going to church with them on a Sunday. The relationship is great. Coach Heup is energetic, the type of coach I want to play for.”

Keys believes this Tennessee class can help the Vols compete for the National Championship.

“No. 1 quarterback, No. 1 receiver, that’s the best it can get. I don’t get better than that.”

Keys is already an Adidas athlete making NIL prominent in his process. These programs made exciting offers including Tennessee.

“They took care of me,” Keys said. “But I was always feeling the Vols. The NIL part was not a big factor in it. I knew they wanted me a lot and (NIL) was there but I loved them for who they was.”

Keys says he plans to be at Tennessee’s first home game of the season.

Scouting new Tennessee commit Tristen Keys

Rivals Director of Scouting Charles Power loves this pickup for the Vols.

“Contested catch maven who looks like the top wide receiver prospect early in the 2026 cycle. Has good size, measuring at very 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with good length as a junior. Turned in a strong junior campaign, catching 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading his team to a deep playoff run. 

“Excels in contested catch situations, elevating to come down with acrobatic grabs. Hangs in the air and is able to contort his body into favorable positions. Displays a huge catch radius, high-pointing the football and coming down with one-handed grabs. High-level ball tracker with the ability to locate and corral the ball over his shoulder. Shows some route-running nuance. Has some shake off the line of scrimmage and is able to stack corners with his releases. Runs hard after the catch. Able to attack all areas of the field with his well-rounded skill set. Made some huge plays in big contests as a junior.

“Also a star on the 7-on-7 circuit before his junior season. Good marks in track and field in the high jump (6-0 feet) and triple jump (43-2 feet). Also plays basketball. Can continue improving his top-end speed.”