"Flipped by fall" "Great get": Fans react as nation's No. 1 WR Tristen Keys commits to Brian Kelly's LSU

Five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys committed to LSU's 2026 class on Wednesday. The standout from Hattiesburg High School (Mississippi) chose Brian Kelly's Tigers over schools like Miami, USC, Texas A&M, Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Auburn.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Keys is the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 class. His pledge also makes him the first out-of-state player to commit to LSU’s 2026 class.

The Tigers previously secured a commitment from another Mississippi prospect, four-star JaReylan McCoy, on Jan. 2, but he later decommitted on Feb. 3. Some fans speculated that Keys might eventually reconsider his decision as well.

"Don’t worry he’ll find out how sh***y Baton Rouge is and he’ll immediately regret his decision," a fan wrote.

"Doubt this one sticks and is far from over lol," one wrote.

"Yeah he will be flipped by fall," one wrote.

"What an awful decision young man," one wrote.

With Keys’ addition, LSU has surpassed Oregon and USC to claim the No. 1 spot in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Kelly’s Tigers are now one of only four programs with multiple top-100 commitments in the 2026 cycle, and some LSU fans were thrilled with the news.

"Hot damn, great get for LSU, add the fact they lead for Feaster. Now they can pair them with....whatever QB they got," one wrote.

"Cool cool well we’re going to call you every day for the next 8 months just to be safe 😆🤘🤷‍♂️," one wrote.

Tristen Keys has the potential to be a game-changer at the college level. During his junior season in 2024, he recorded 40 receptions for 839 yards and 12 touchdowns, per MaxPreps.

Tristen Keys shares the reasons behind his LSU commitment

Tristen Keys initially intended to announce his college decision after completing a series of official visits this summer. However, this week's visit to Baton Rouge inspired him to give his pledge to LSU.

"It was the best place for me to get to the next level in life and football," Keys told 247Sports' Tom Loy following his commitment. "Even if football doesn't work out, I'll be successful in life just by going to LSU. You see Angel Reese, you see Malik Nabors, you see Jetta, you see Shaq, all of them. They are known for going to LSU. They develop you in every way possible."

Tristen Keys is now the seventh commitment in LSU’s 2026 class and the highest-rated recruit in the group. He joins four-star wide receivers Kenny Darby and Jakai Anderson in the Tigers' receiving corps.