Tennessee Continues Heavy Pursuit Of Five Star Tristen Keys

Can the Vols convince Keys to come to Knoxville?

Hattiesburg's Tristen Keys (5) returns for the Tigers during play against Grenada in the MHSAA 6A championship game in Hattiesburg, Miss., Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. | Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Volunteers have been unrelenting in their pursuit and approach of five-star prospect Tristen Keys, who is currently at LSU. The Vols are no stranger to recruiting and landing high-end receiver prospects. In the 2024 class, Tennessee landed five-star WR Mike Matthews, who is expected to have a big role for the Vols this year. The Vols hope Keys will be next in line to follow the tradition. 

Tennessee continues to push for LSU 5-star WR commit Tristen Keys, @SWiltfong_ reports👀

Keys is the No. 1 WR in the class.

Intel: https://t.co/XHpEYjwFza pic.twitter.com/RW1cyC8XKf

— Rivals (@Rivals) August 18, 2025

Here is a little bit of what Keys had to say after his official visits, per our own Vols on SI reporter Dale Dowden, about where Tennessee stood. 

“They're pretty high. They've always been high for me. I love Tennessee. From the coaching staff to just the environment and just the people around as well as the fan base. So yeah, it's like a great feeling,” said Keys. 

“I enjoyed everything. I enjoyed the fun activities they have for us. I enjoyed the guys, the coaches, the staff, just overall my weekend.” 

Another thing of note is that Keys signed with Adidas this past offseason and was one of the few athletes to land an NIL with the brand. Tennessee signed a landmark apparel deal/NIL with the Adidas brand for the next 10 seasons, which will start in July 2026. It would make a lot of sense to go to a team that is already sponsored by a brand you are closely associated with. It will be something to monitor. 

Currently, the Volunteers have a top 10 class in the country per 247Sports. They have two five-star prospects committed in QB Faizon Brandon and OL Gabriel Osenda. If Keys were to choose Tennessee, he would be the third.  The Vols have a total of nine blue-chip prospects in the class. 

Another thing to watch is to see if Keys will be on campus for a home game this upcoming season for the Volunteers. The Vols play notable teams at home like Georgia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in 2025. A home game, especially a win, could be a factor in the recruitment as well for Keys. 

It looks like this pursuit of keys will go all the way into December before he signs on the dotted line. The Volunteers aren’t backing down and want to secure the top-ranked playmaker in the country.