5-star Tristen Keys signs with Vols, ready to 'work' on Rocky Top

Hattiesburg five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys is officially a Tennessee Volunteer. Keys, who was at one point in the process committed to LSU, flipped to the Vols early in the fall, and he has been a pivotal part of Tennessee’s class since. He is now ready to get to work on Rocky Top.

“I am just excited to get there, man,” Keys told Volquest prior to signing. “It has truly been a blessing. This is the position we wanted to be in, and we are here now. I am just ready to take full advantage of the opportunities.”

Keys has been an industry-rated five-star throughout this process, but when he shows up at Tennessee, he knows it is time to put in work to earn a role on the field.

“I feel like I can have a major impact because they can put me on the outside or the inside because I can do both,” Keys said. “You can see what they have been doing with the offense now with three receivers over seven hundred yards. That hasn’t been done since 2020 and is the first time in school history. Seeing that just makes me want to work. It gives me motivation to go out there and be an even better ball player.”

The Scout on Keys

Contested catch maven who looks like the top wide receiver prospect early in the 2026 cycle. Has good size, measuring at ver 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.