Five-star receiver spurns LSU football and flips to SEC rival

LSU football lost the top-ranked member of its 2026 recruiting class on Thursday night. Five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys flipped to Tennessee, backing off his LSU pledge.

Keys committed to LSU in the spring, but since then, there has been constant buzz and speculation about a flip. The rumors got quiet after LSU made a stronger NIL offer, but Tennessee was persistent, and the Vols were rewarded.

According to the Rivals Industry Rankings, Keys is the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the class. All three major recruiting services rank Keys as a top-15 overall recruit. LSU's wide receiver class remains strong, but losing Keys is massive.

For the second straight recruiting cycle, LSU held a commitment from the No. 1 receiver in the class, only to watch that receiver flip in August. Last year, Dakorien Moore decommitted from LSU before joining Oregon's class.

Without Keys, LSU's class ranks outside the top-10. LSU still has 17 commitments, including 13 blue-chip recruits.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football loses five-star receiver to SEC rival