Can Ole Miss Football Flip the No. 1 Wide Receiver Away From an SEC Rival?

Lane Kiffin and Co. continue battling for America's top talent, remain in-contact with nation's No. 1 receiver.

Courtesy of Tristen Keys' Instagram.

Hattiesburg (Miss.) five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys flipped his commitment from the LSU Tigers to the Tennessee Volunteers in August after going public with a decision.

Keys, the No. 1 ranked wideout in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle, took multiple official visits over the summer with LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Miami and Auburn all hosting the Magnolia State native on multi-day stays.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder saw his recruitment skyrocket after a dominant junior campaign in 2024 where he quickly emerged as the nation's top pass-catcher.

Keys is coming off of an impressive junior season where led his Hattiesburg High School squad to a 13-1 record in 2024 after logging 58 receptions for 1,275 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Courtesy of Tristen Keys' X/Twitter.

Now, with the Early Signing Period in December inching closer, multiple programs will take a stab at the highly-touted receiver.

That includes the Ole Miss Rebels with Lane Kiffin and Co. keeping tabs on the top-ranked prospect in the state.

Kiffin and Co. have successfully flipped multiple prospects from other programs to this point - including the No. 1 offensive lineman in Mississippi, Emanuel Tucker, away from the LSU Tigers.

Now, it's full steam ahead on adding elite skill position players to the class with five-star Jase Mathews and others emerging as names to know.

Could Keys be a name Ole Miss fans should keep tabs on? He's a "most wanted" prospect as the top-ranked wide receiver.

Courtesy of Tristen Keys' Instagram.

"I'm not saying I'm confident that Ole Miss can land him. I'm not saying it's not possible... At the end of the day you have to look at the product on the field," Rivals' Zach Berry said.

"These guys are going to look at what's on the field. NIL is probably the most important for a lot of them. Relationships are right there after it... They want to play for a winner."

Keys has voiced his thoughts on what he's looking for in a school prior to flipping his initial commitment from the LSU Tigers to the Tennessee Volunteers.

"When it comes to money and development, of course I'd take development first because we trying to get to that big money, which is NFL," Keys said. "When it comes to 700 to seven figures, and the production is there with the 700, I would take it because I want to be ready and prepared for the next level as fast as possible. So development is No. 1 for me, for sure."

"I just feel like choosing development over money is a smart business decision, honestly," Keys added. "When you get on the field, make plays, more opportunities come."

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Now, with the Tennessee Volunteers holding the verbal commitment, the clock is ticking for the Ole Miss Rebels to make a move on the elite pass-catcher.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Reacts to Oklahoma Sooners as Annual SEC Rival

Ole Miss Football Commit, Ex-Michigan Wolverines Pledge Shuts Down Recruitment

Alabama Head Coach Betting Odds: Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Listed as a Favorite

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.