National Recruiting Service Believes Faizon Brandon and Tristen Keys AREN'T 5-Stars

Is this a fair ranking for the QB-WR duo, who will be on the way to Tennessee?

University of Tennessee

The Tennessee Volunteers have found some success when it comes to the recruiting scene, as they landed many top targets on their board. This includes their two very top targets in the nation. Those two targets are their QB prospect Faizon Brandon, and WR prospect Tristen Keys, who originally committed to the LSU Tigers, but flipped from LSU to the Orange and White.

Brandon has been the longest commit in the class, and has been listed as a No. 1 player in the nation by 247Sports, but they now have him as the No. 2 player and the No. 2 QB in the nation. As for Tristen Keys, he has been labeled a five-star by 247Sports. He remains a five-star along with Brandon, as he is now the 10th-ranked prospect in the state, but is also the No. 1 player at the wide receiver position. He has even been compared to some of the greats.

National Recruiting Service Believes Faizon Brandon and Tristen Keys AREN'T 5-Stars

Nov 15, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel before the game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

While this is the case, it is safe to say that the Tennessee Vols' commits haven't been granted the same rankings by Rivals. This is an ongoing trend, as they have yet to earn their fifth star. While the Rivals industry rankings has Brandon as a five-star prospect, he isn't a five-star in the eyes of the Rivals staff ranking him. He is rated as the 34th best prospect in the nation in their eyes, which makes him a four-star prospect. For Keys, he is rated even lower. Keys is rated as the 39th player in the nation. This also makes him a four-star prospect.

The Vols have zero five-stars in the rankings by Rivals, which fans have quickly pointed out to be a trend, as they believe this is a direct result of them being committed to the Tennessee Volunteers. There seems to be reason for fans to think that way, however, maybe they notice some things that others don't.

All in all, it is safe to say that these two have very high expectations, and will be viewed as two hopeful stars in the offense. The Vols are very young, and that will be the case next year too, which has many hopeful that they will be able to contribute at a young age. This seems to be a fair ask, and something that could be accomplished. These two have set the example of what everyone hopes for on a class basis for the Vols.

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