'Tennessee is as good of a candidate to flip him as any school in the country' - Vols hoping to swipe 5-star commit from SEC rival

The Tennessee Vols are looking to make a big move with 2026 five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys this weekend during his visit to Rocky Top. 

Keys, 6-fot-3/180 lbs from Hattiesburg, Ms., has been committed to the LSU Tigers since March. He's rated as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. 

When Keys committed to the Tigers, it came as a surprise to nearly everyone in the sport. The Vols were viewed as one of the teams to beat for Keys, with some recruiting analysts predicting that he would land with Tennessee. 

The battle for Keys, however, is far from over. Despite his commitment to LSU, Keys is still checking out other programs. And he's viewed as a candidate to flip his commitment before the early signing period begins later this year. 

VolQuest's Brent Hubbs joined 104.5 The Zone's Ramon and Will on Friday and he noted that Tennessee has a good of a chance as any school in the nation to flip Keys. 

"They're obviously getting him on campus, and he's been here multiple times," said Hubbs of Keys' upcoming visit to Tennessee. "He surprised everybody by committing (to LSU) when he committed, and everybody knew he was [still] going to take all of these visits. So it's not a shock that he's coming to campus. He's clearly open (to other schools). I think having (Vols commit) Faizon Brandon here, the two know each other well, I think having him here this weekend to help recruit [Keys] is a good thing as well. So, they've got a chance. Is it a great chance? I mean, it's as good of a chance as you can hope for.

"I don't think he's ever been just a stone cold, absolute lock with LSU. I think there's always been a possibility that he's a guy who could flip. And certainly Tennessee has been in it with him for a long time. So Tennessee is as good of a candidate to flip him as any other school in the country is."