J.D. Pickell Leaves Reassuring Message on Tennessee Football's Tristen Keys

Tristen Keys is one of the many talented players who joined the roster ahead of his first season of college football. The Vols were great when it comes to adding talent, and they will be one of the better teams when it comes to utilizing their new talent, as a lot of these players will have the chance to play immediately.

Keys is one of the players who has the most hype around him entering this next season, as he has been compared to many NFL legends, including once being compared to Calvin Johnson in high school. With Keys having nothing but talent and potential on his resume, he is looking to have a huge first season, in which he is currently battling for a starting job with the roster.

On3 reporter J.D. Pickell was quick to comment on Keys, as he believes the unbelievably talented wide receiver will have the chance to be the next great in Knoxville, Tennessee. Here is what he had to say.

Pickell Comments on Keys at Tennessee

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tristen Keys is a five-star wide receiver that you flipped away from LSU. If you're a Tennessee fan, there are a lot of Twitter scouts out there because there's an out route out there that he ran, and a lot of people want to break it down in terms of how he moves, and how smooth he looks or doesn't look, but Keys is a five-star true freshman. Think about what his skill set could be, and what Josh Heupel has done with different skill sets at Tennessee in that offense. It's very easy to see how this is going to be very fun to watch as a Tennessee fan. Jalin Hyatt won the Biletnikoff at Tennessee. As a recruit, Hyatt was the No. 31 wide receiver (industry) out of high school. Chris Brazzell was a G5 wide receiver (before he became a Tennessee wide receiver). Keys is a five-star freshman who was rated, according to the industry, as the No. 2 wide receiver at the high school level. This dude has got a very different and raw skill set than either of those guys. So, you think about what that means in terms of what he should be at Tennessee. He should be the next great Tennessee wide receiver to roll through Knoxville. Like that is what he should be, according to his skill set and according to what he was billed as a recruit," Pickell said.