Tennessee has pulled off a massive coup.
On Thursday, Josh Heupel and the Vols flipped 5-star Hattiesburg (Miss.) High wide receiver Tristen Keys away from LSU. Keys initially committed to Brian Kelly and the Tigers back in March, but he took several official visits throughout the summer — including to Tennessee in June — and it would seem the Vols made a strong impression.
Keys told 247Sports’ Tom Loy his recruitment is officially “over” and that he will enroll at Tennessee in January.
The 6-foot-2 Keys is one of the top-rated prospects in the entire 2026 cycle. He is a 5-star recruit in the industry-generated 247 Composite. He’s the No. 1 recruit from the state of Mississippi, the No. 1 receiver in the country, and the No. 6 overall prospect regardless of position.
If he indeed signs with Tennessee, Keys would become the seventh-highest-rated recruit to join the Vols in the 247 recruiting era. He also gives the Vols a second commitment from a top-10 overall prospect, giving quarterback Faizon Brandon a go-to receiver to partner with.
Keys is a multi-sport athlete who has also competed in track and field events and played basketball for Hattiesburg High. He was a state qualifier as a sophomore in the high jump, triple jump, and 110-meter hurdles. He averaged 8.3 points and 1.5 steals per game on the court that same year.
As a junior last fall on the gridiron, Keys was a MaxPreps Junior All-American selection after catching 58 balls for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns. He took part in both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl this year. He caught a touchdown in the Polynesian Bowl.
Tennessee’s 2026 class is shaping up to be a special one. The Vols are up to 24 known commitments, headlined by a trio of Composite 5-star recruits. The class ranks eighth nationally.
For LSU, the loss of Keys is going to sting. It’s another year with a high-profile recruit who decided to turn away from Kelly after initially pledging to the Tigers. Last cycle, LSU held verbal pledges from quarterback Bryce Underwood (who signed with Michigan) and wideout Dakorien Moore (who signed with Oregon). Both Underwood and Moore were top-5 recruits in the national player rankings, and both are expected to start as freshmen.
You can see Keys’ highlight tape below, via Hudl:
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
