Early Signing Day Profile: 2026 WR Tristen Keys Officially Signs with Tennessee Football

Tristen Keys officially signs with Tennessee.

Tristen Keys (5) looking for the play call. (Oct. 24, 2025) | Dale Dowden- Vols on SI

The early national signing period for the class of 2026 is finally here. Prospects ranging all over the country will be signing and sending in their official Letter of Intent (LOI) to play for their selected college of choice.

For the most part, it will be casual business as the majority of young men will sign with a school that they have been committed to leading up to this point, but there are usually a few cases that provide a handful of fireworks.

The Josh Heupel led Tennessee Volunteers are expected to sign around 25 players, give or take a few. This does not factor in the ones who could decide to commit today, or the ones who could potentially flip. After all, it is early signing day. Expect some of the unexpected.

You have a number of prospects each year that no matter what the journey was, will make a final decision on signing day, and then there will be some that are anticipated to put pen to paper for a school, and have last second thoughts, or a premeditated surprise and the signed LOI lands at another school.

The Volunteer staff has maintained relationships and consistently pressed on a few potential flip targets coming down the stretch, as well as a few uncommitted prospects, so note that the final number of signees may differ from the number on the committed list.

The Vols have official signed 2026 WR Tristen Keys, one of the top wideouts in the country.

Keys is just one of the talented pass catchers that Kelsey Pope will welcome into his group, but Keys is the highest rated of the bunch.

2026 QB signee Faizon Brandon had a huge impact during the process for Keys as the two are close friends at this point. Keys initially committed to LSU before flipping to the Vols.

Currently, Keys is rated as one of the two best wide receivers in the class, so this was a huge get for Josh Heupel and the offensive staff.

BIO

Tristen Keys watching for the snap. | Dale Dowden- Vols on SI

Tristen Keys

Hattiesburg (Mississippi)

Wide Receiver

6-foot-3, 185-pounds

Tennessee Recruiting History

Tristen Keys is a Vol. | UT Athletics

Offered: April 2, 2024

Committed: August 28, 2025

Signed: December 3, 2025

Keys will be joining a talented wide receiver core that is already on campus that features guys like Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley, who are current starters. This doesn't factor guys like Travis Smith Jr., Radarious Jackson, Joakim Dodson, and Amari Jefferson.

This also doesn't include a couple of other guys that are signing in this class.

The receiver room maybe overall young, but there will be zero shortage on talent, and with Matthews and Staley leading, this group can become an x-factor for the next few seasons.

Highlights

Provided by Hudl.

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