Georgia enters recruiting battle for elite 5-star recruit that was recently predicted to land with Tennessee
Late last month, On3's Chad Simmons made a "way-too-early" prediction for the Tennessee Vols to land 2026 five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys. Keys, 6-foot-2/175 lbs from Hattiesburg, MS, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. The Vols are certainly in a good spot for Keys, and it helps that […]
Late last month, On3's Chad Simmons made a "way-too-early" prediction for the Tennessee Vols to land 2026 five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys.
Keys, 6-foot-2/175 lbs from Hattiesburg, MS, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class.
The Vols are certainly in a good spot for Keys, and it helps that Tennessee already has a commitment from 2026 five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, but this battle is far from over. Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel and his staff are going to have to fight to the end to land Keys.
Making matters more complicated for Tennessee is the fact that the Georgia Bulldogs recently entered the battle for Keys.
"Texas A&M, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn and USC have been the five standouts for Keys in recent weeks but a new offer from Georgia could definitely be something to watch for the high four-star receiver from Hattiesburg, Miss," wrote Rivals.com's Adam Gorney on Monday. "The word is Georgia has 'a chance' to be among Keys’ top programs as the Aggies and the Vols have been battling it out most recently, but if Georgia pushes, there could be some momentum there."
It's not easy to beat Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs on the recruiting trail.
The Vols, however, have actually gone head to head against Georgia for elite wide receivers a couple of times over the last several years. And Tennessee won two of those high-profile recruiting battles (2024 five-star wide receiver Mike Matthew and 2025 four-star wide receiver Travis Smith Jr). Vols wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope has proved he's a more-than-capable recruiter.
We'll see how this recruiting battle plays out this spring/summer as Keys narrows his list of contenders and gets more serious about his recruitment. This is a battle that Tennessee needs to find a way to win if they're going to compete for national championships.
