No. 1 WR Tristen Keys commits to LSU Tigers

Hattiesburg (Miss.) five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys has committed to LSU, he tells On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Keys is locking in with the Tigers after coming off a visit to Baton Rouge this week. He chose Brian Kelly and Co. over the likes of Miami, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn.

The 6-foot-2.5, 185-pounder is the No. 3 overall prospect and top-ranked wideout in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 1 recruit in Mississippi.

It’s a monumental early recruiting win for LSU. The Tigers had been mentioned as one of the frontrunners in his fluid recruitment earlier this year, but they’ve now landed one of the biggest commitments of the cycle and now have the No. 1 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, leapfrogging Oregon and USC.

“LSU has produced a lot of top receivers and I see them at WRU,” Keys previously told On3’s Chad Simmons. I talk to coach (Cortez) Hankton a lot and it is a place I am very familiar with. I want to keep building my bond with them.”

Keys becomes commitment No. 7 for the Tigers this cycle. He’s the first out-of-state prospect to enter the fold and now sits atop the class alongside the likes of New Orleans Edna Karr four-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson and Edna Karr four-star safety Aiden Hall.

As a junior for Hattiesburg High, Keys caught 40 passes for 839 yards and 12 touchdowns, per MaxPreps. The Tigers won 13 games and ranked as the No. 7 team in Mississippi in 2024, per the On3 Composite.

Tristen Keys Scouting Summary

On3’s scouting and rankings team writes this of Keys as a prospect:

“Contested catch maven who looks like the top wide receiver prospect early in the 2026 cycle. Has good size, measuring at ver 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with good length as a junior. Turned in a strong junior campaign, catching 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading his team to a deep playoff run. Excels in contested catch situations, elevating to come down with acrobatic grabs. Hangs in the air and is able to contort his body into favorable positions. Displays a huge catch radius, high-pointing the football and coming down with one-handed grabs. High-level ball tracker with the ability to locate and corral the ball over his shoulder.

…Shows some route-running nuance. Has some shake off the line of scrimmage and is able to stack corners with his releases. Runs hard after the catch. Able to attack all areas of the field with his well-rounded skill set. Made some huge plays in big contests as a junior. Also a star on the 7-on-7 circuit before his junior season. Good marks in track and field in the high jump (6-0 feet) and triple jump (43-2 feet). Also plays basketball. Can continue improving his top-end speed.”