Top 3 landing spots for 5-star wide receiver Tristen Keys ft. Tennessee

Five-star prospect Tristan Keys is one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the nation's 2026 class. The standout from Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi is a game-changing receiver who is expected to make an early impact on his future program.

Keys is the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2026 class, the No. 7 prospect in the nation and the No. 1 recruit in Mississippi, as per the On3 Industry Rankings. He confirmed to On3 that he wants to commit before his senior season starts.

Let's see which three programs have the most chances of securing Keys' commitment.

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Top 3 schools competing for Tristen Keys' commitment

3. Alabama

Alabama offered Tristen Keys in September, and wide receiver coach JaMarcus Shephard is playing the role of his primary recruiter. According to On3, the Crimson Tide has a 7.1% chance of securing him in their 2026 class.

In an interview with Touchdown Alabama, Keys also praised Alabama's focus on young talents, saying:

"I like they played a lot of freshmen this year. Those freshmen contributed to the team. Things didn’t go their way this year, but that’s football, new coaching staff. I still think they did pretty good and worked pretty hard.”

Alabama's 2026 class was hit with four decommitments and has four-star cornerback Zyan Gibson as the sole commit. Potentially adding Keys to the cycle would help in dealing with the initial blow.

2. Texas A&M

Tristen Keys made multiple visits to Texas A&M this season, including the Aggies 38-23 win against LSU on Oct. 26. On3 gives Mike Elko's program a 7.1% chance of securing his commitment.

"There are a lot of great opportunities and connections there," Keys told On3. "The staff and environment are great and the 12th Man is a real thing in their stadium. The fans are loud, they give great support and they made a lot of progress already under coach Elko."

Keys also raved about the Aggies wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins, saying:

"He has a great resume and he not only puts guys in the league, but he puts receivers in the first round. If I go there, I can be one of those guys for him."

Texas A&M’s 2026 recruiting class has risen in the rankings after receiving the commitment of four-star wide receiver Madden Williams as the No. 10 commit. The class now ranks No. 2 in the Southeastern Conference and also has four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory locked in.

1. Tennessee

247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Tom Loy entered an expert prediction for Tennessee to land Tristen Keys. It came after his visit to Vols during their 42-17 win over Ohio State on Dec. 21. On3 gives Josh Heupel's program a 19.1% chance in this regard.

“I visited Tennessee twice for games this season and I am talking to them almost every day," Keys told On3.

Tennessee has an edge in Keys recruitment as five-star quarterback and 2026 class Vols commit Faizon Brandon is heavily recruiting Keys.

"He's connected really well with Faizon Brandon," Tom Loy said (via 247Sports). "They definitely got along and chopped it up about potentially playing together at the next level."

The school has five other committed players in the cycle besides Brandon. It ranks No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 3 in the nation.