Tennessee's 2026 class vaults into top 10 after five-star recruit flips

As the No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers prepares to face Syracuse on Saturday afternoon in the 2025 season-opener for both teams, the Volunteers have hit a home run on the recruiting trail.

Five-star Tristen Keys, the top wide receiver in the rising high school senior class, revealed on Thursday that he has flipped his verbal commitment from LSU to Tennessee.

Even though the 6-foot-2.5, 185-pound Keys, an All-American from Mississippi, had verbally pledged to the Tigers back in March, many national analysts continued to believe that his recruitment was far from over, and that the Vols would ultimately land him.

With Keys on board in Knoxville, Tennessee's 24-member 2026 class has moved into the top 10 around the country. The 247Sports Composite places this Volunteers cycle at No. 8 overall, while it checks in at No. 9 via the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Regarding his pledge to the Vols, Keys said to 247Sports national analyst Tom Loy, "It's all about the coaches. Every time I go up there, I feel comfortable and at home. I feel like me. I can't wait to put on for the fans in Knoxville. I can't wait to get there and play at night. It's going to be wild. I can't wait to be there."

A standout rising senior at Hattiesburg High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Keys is ranked as high as No. 4 nationally in his class by 247Sports. He's also inside the top seven overall, according to both the 247Sports and Rivals composite rating systems.

Tennessee's 2026 class now features a trio of five-star commits, per 247Sports. They are Keys, quarterback Faizon Brandon and offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda.

Brandon, by the way, is the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 1 overall prospect in 2026, according to 247Sports.

Regarding Thursday's flip news, Brandon said to On3, "When I first heard that he (Tristen Keys) was flipping, I was shocked and hyped. This is very big for us. I would say just having another elite wide receiver is game changing, honestly. I’m sure he is going to make a big impact very early at Tennessee."

As a junior, Keys caught 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 scores through the air. In 2024, Hattiesburg went 13-1 overall and advanced to the title game of the Mississippi High School Activities Association ("MHSAA") Class 6A playoffs.

MaxPreps named both Brandon and Keys to its 2024 junior All-America first team. Earlier this month, MaxPreps put Keys on its 2025 preseason All-America first team, while Brandon resided on the second team.