Ole Miss Rebels and Lane Kiffin pushing to flip elite five star recruit from SEC rival late with two visits this month
Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels recruiting staff have landed four high pedigree recruits in the last 40 days alone and momentum is building into the month of June. Yes, the Rebels have just missed on a handful of highly rated four and five star talents this year already too, but they've been right […]
Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels recruiting staff have landed four high pedigree recruits in the last 40 days alone and momentum is building into the month of June. Yes, the Rebels have just missed on a handful of highly rated four and five star talents this year already too, but they've been right there in the mix for talents Ole Miss usually is not.
That's where the Rebels find themselves yet again, but this time it's with an elite five star talent they're looking to flip from an SEC rival. There's still plenty of work to be done in the coming week(s), but there's real smoke that Kiffin and company (or at least some top program) will be able to pry Tristen Keys away from Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers.
Tristen Keys looks like a major flip candidate from LSU
For those unfamiliar with Tristen Keys, he is a consensus five star and the number one overall rated wide receiver recruit in the nation who just so happens to be from the state of Mississippi. Lane Kiffin and his staff have been all in on him dating back to early spring of 2023 when they first offered him a scholarship. Despite that early interest and commitment to his recruitment, Keys eventually chose to commit to LSU this spring, but it looks like things could change on that front very soon.
Keys has been going out of his way to visit several top tier programs early this summer who courted him for months or years prior to his LSU commitment (Miami, Ole Miss, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama). He just inked a deal with Adidas (LSU is a Nike school). And then shortly thereafter he quietly scrapped all LSU affiliation from his social media.
What's really interesting about the timing of social media sweep is that it came immediately following his unofficial visit to Ole Miss this week. Keys was on site with the Rebels and actually made a few plays on the practice field (as you can see in the post below).
Immediately following the visit Keys made it clear that Kiffin and his staff never stopped recruiting and chasing after him throughout the process. He mentioned how much he loved the offense, how well the team develops wide receivers, and most importantly emphasized that he's planning a quick follow up official visit when he can fit that into his schedule in the very near future. We don't have a date for the official visit yet, but that's apparently coming.
If Lane Kiffin can pull off this flip, stealing Keys away from Brian Kelly and LSU that would be one of the biggest recruiting wins in program history. If his composite rating holds with 247 Sports, Keys would be the highest rated wide receiver that Ole Miss has ever recruited as he ranks third overall in the nation. There's still a tough road ahead since Keys is still considering Miami, Alabama, Tennessee, and more, but it seems Ole Miss has firmly entered the mix once again.
Now that Tre Harris (Chargers 2nd round pick) and Jordan Watkins (49ers 4th round pick) are both off to the NFL, Ole Miss is leaning heavily on a number of brand new transfer wide receivers and emerging star slot target Cayden Lee. Most of their experienced transfers will be gone after just one season too, so there could be a path for Keys to start immediately in 2026.
Ole Miss fans better hope the long-term commitment from Kiffin, the in-state appeal, early opportunity, and the high-flying offense are enough to make this happen. If the Rebels actually pull this off, new starting quarterback Austin Simmons should have an incredible set of playmakers in 2026.
Ole Miss frustratingly misses out on five star offensive recruit, but Lane Kiffin could still flip him away from USC late
Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have been so close to landing some of the best players in the 2026 recruiting class this year. Unfortunately they keep coming in second or third here and there for the truly elite talents and it's happened again this week. The good news is that there's still a […]
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And if you want to see why Tristen Keys should be such a high priority flip target for Ole Miss just check out his highlights below.
