IMPACT ANALYSIS: 5-Star Receiver Tristen Keys Flips to Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee football has completed the flip of five-star wideout Tristen Keys from conference opponent LSU and has completed landing a premier recruiting class of receivers that should provide an electric future at the position for the Volunteers' offense under head coach Josh Heupel.

The Hattiesburg (Miss.) standout is a top-five ranked prospect in the entire 2026 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports, and that comes with good reason as the new Tennessee Volunteers commit boasts an near unstoppable blend of size, athleticism, verticality, strong hands, and box-out ability.

The Tristen Keys grab in the end zone: pic.twitter.com/JMR3XjvV7S
— Louisiana vs. All Y’all (@LAvsAllYall) April 13, 2024

The highlight tape for Keys is absolutely filthy as he displays his basketball background and high IQ to contort his body in a position to make any and every catch that he needs to make for his team, making any jump ball situation a 100-0 opportunity for the offense.

He is not limited to simply being a jump ball specialist, showing top-tier athleticism in everything that he does on the field as well, making him an unlimited weapon for an offensive coordinator, such as Joey Halzle, that can be used in a variety of ways, including every single route concept.

5⭐️ LSU commit Tristen Keys (@Tkgot5) hit 20.8 mph on this play, an 86th percentile mark for WRs.

That verified max-speed helped fuel his 88.6 IGA Score®, an above average grade based on his In-Game Athleticism™ from film. #IGAScore pic.twitter.com/MAczDux8Kv
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) June 1, 2025

He will need to continue to add weight to his frame to unlock the peak of his potential with his size, but his frame will allow for him to pack on a significant amount of muscle to an already strong build.

As he continues to progress along the developmental arc he is currently on, Keys truly has the chance to be a premier receiver at any level of football and should provide a security blanket on the perimeter for any quarterback he plays with, including five-star Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon.

ELITE DUO ON ROCKY TOP 🍊🍊

Could we see Tristen Keys and Faizon Brandon team up to be a part of the Tennessee class on signing day 🤔🤔

(Video via Braylon Staley on IG) pic.twitter.com/FQXwMx0baF
— Shayne Pickering (@shaynep_media) June 15, 2025

Tristen Keys is the type of player who comes into a college program and completely shifts the dynamic potential of the offense the minute he steps on the practice field. He is a total package that has the ability to prove his star power along every inch of the field and should be expected to come in and contribute immediately on Rocky Top.