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LSU has No. 1 recruiting class after adding 5-star Tristen Keys

On3 imageby:Shea Dixon•about 10 hours•

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LSU Football landing Tristen Keys gives the Tigers the No. 1 class in America
LSU Football landing Tristen Keys gives the Tigers the No. 1 class in America

LSU has made a stunning splash in the recruiting world, landing a commitment from Hattiesburg (Miss.) five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys.

The nation’s No. 3 prospect and top-ranked wideout in the 2026 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking, Keys chose the Tigers following a visit to Baton Rouge.

With a massive pledge now in the mix, LSU has jumped Oregon and USC for the No. 1 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings — a spot that the Tigers held for part of the 2025 cycle. Head coach Brian Kelly and his staff are looking to ink group of prospects once again this winter.

LSU has been battling the likes of Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Miami and Texas A&M for the elite pass-catcher. Keys had originally planned to announce a decision after a round of official visits this summer, but he saw enough on his latest trip to the Bayou to pull the trigger on a March pledge.

“I want to play in an air raid offense, for a great staff and in a great environment. I want to be surrounded by the right people,” Keys told On3 during Under Armour All-America week at the end of December. “For me, great relationships with the coaches and the team are important. It is about finding that place I can call home.”

LSU adds enormous pledge to 2026 class

The Tigers are one of just four programs to have multiple commitments from top-100 prospects thus far in the cycle and Keys now joins three other highly-ranked blue-chippers at the top of the class.

New Orleans Edna Karr four-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson and Edna Karr four-star safety Aiden Hall are the No. 29 and No. 55 overall prospects, respectively. Anderson was the first to commit last June, with Hall following in August. Anderson is the top-ranked DL in the cycle, while Hall checks in as the No. 5 safety.

Keys is the lone out-of-state prospect in the LSU class thus far. Gonzales (La.) East Ascension four-star offensive tackle Brysten Martinez is the No. 92 recruit and No. 8 OT overall. He joined the fold on Feb. 13 last month.

The Tigers now have a trio of receivers in the class, too, as Keys flanks Bossier City (La.) Airline four-star WR Kenny Darby, a top-150 recruit and top-25 player at the position, as well as New Orleans McDonogh 35 four-star WR Jakai Anderson.

New Orleans Warren Easton three-star interior offensive lineman Jalan Chapman rounds out the class. To date, five of the top-10 in-state prospects in the cycle are committed to the Tigers. Keys now headlines as LSU builds another big-time pledge list.

(Editor’s note: This is a report from On3’s Hunter Shelton)

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