Tennessee landed an expert prediction for class of 2026 four-star wide receiver Tristen Keys on Wednesday afternoon.
247 Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Loy tagged Tennessee as his Crystal Ball prediction for where Keys winds up on Wednesday. Loy’s prediction is the only one logged on the site for Keys’ recruitment at the time of this publication.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound prospect plays his high school ball for Hattiesburg High School in Hattiesburg, MS. Keys currently ranks as the No. 40 prospect in the nation, the No. 6 wide receiver in the class, and the No. 2 overall player from the state of Mississippi according to 247 Composite Rankings.
Loy’s prediction for Keys at Tennessee comes directly on the heels of a huge recruiting weekend on Rocky Top. Keys was one of several recruits who visited Tennessee for the Vols’ overtime win over Florida on Saturday, including players from the 2025 class, the 2026 class, and the 2027 class. Tennessee quarterback commits George McIntyre (2025) and Faizon Brandon (2026) were also in Neyland Stadium for the game.
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While it’s still early in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Keys has picked up nearly 20 offers including some impressive programs such as LSU, Alabama, Miami (FL), Michigan, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Keys also has offers from Notre Dame, Missouri, Florida State, Arkansas, and Auburn.
Tennessee has two commitments to its 2026 class but neither is a wide receiver. The Vols landed a verbal commitment from 247’s No. 1 overall prospect Faizon Brandon and three-star tight end Carson Sneed in early August. Tennessee does have three talented WR commitments in the 2025 class with four-star wide receiver Travis Smith Jr., four-star wide receiver Radarious Jackson, and three-star wide receiver Joakim Dodson.
On3 Sports’ Recruiting Prediction Machine has Ole Miss in the lead for Keys’ commitment at 50.4 percent with Tennessee back at 8.4 percent. LSU, Alabama, and Auburn sit between Tennessee and Ole Miss in On3’s projections list.
All predictions aside, it’s still early in the recruiting cycle. Loy’s prediction and Keys’ trip to Rocky Top this past Saturday do indicate that Tennessee is making progress in his recruitment, though.
Check out some of Tristen Keys’ highlights from his sophomore season and his mid-season junior highlights from Oct. 13 below:
Mid-Season Junior Year
Sophomore Highlights
