'26 MS WR Tristen Keys (lsu commit)

[BelievetheHeup2022]

He isn’t coming here wished he was but from people I know they said he was locked in with LSU

No offense to the people you know, but in the era of NIL they don't know jack squat about what a 17-18 year old kid shopping around for the best deal is going to do. The fact he's taking visits doesn't mean he's that committed. Until the kid shows up in classes, I'm not convinced where any of these kids are going.

 

[VolForLife83]

It hope it improves.
But Nico gave us 3,000 total yards and 22 TDs as a freshman. The best freshman year ever by a Tennessee QB.

Was it All-SEC? Nope. But take away every TD he scored in each game, and we absolutely do not make the playoffs.

22 TDs is respectable for a veteran much less a true freshman.

He wasn't a true Freshman and 12 of those TDs were against the likes of Chattanooga, NC State, Kent State, UTEP and Mississippi State. Go ahead and throw in 4 more against Vandy for a total if 16.

Now go look at his stats against the teams that actually mattered.

UF- 0 TD - 1 INT
GA- 0 TD - 0 INT
Bama-1 TD - 1 INT
Oklahoma- 1 TD - 0 INT
OH ST- 0 TD -0 INT

2 TD, 2 INT and 12 points as a passer in those 5 games


Not to mention this is a QB friendly system.

 

[VolGee4]

If you're counting on rebuilding your offensive line in the portal every offseason, you're in big trouble

I didn’t necessarily say that, but almost every school is picking OL out of the portal each year. When you can land a RS sophomore and a redshirt freshman, who both have a bunch of P4 game experience, you do it.

You won’t do that to your entire OL, but most teams are plugging every year.

 

[NighthawkVol]

View attachment 750122
Per ESPN - Turds were the biggest threat. Sounds like its all Tigers. The intel TN is getting is different from National folks. That's why I'm not putting a ton of stock in it.

AP's info is watch out for Miami, and Ole Miss is snake in the grass. So who knows?

ESPN’s recruiting rankings and info are garbage.

 

[swampfoxfan]

If you're counting on rebuilding your offensive line in the portal every offseason, you're in big trouble

I see nothing wrong with portal additions on the o line. Not different than DB WR DL orange position. We have benefited from the portal

 

[LaagerVol]

Wouldn't call it elite but I agree with the sentiment. Josh Heupel and NIL have been the driving force for OL recruiting recently. I think people's frustrations are with Elarbee

I think the next couple of years will tell the tale on Elarbee from a development standpoint. I don’t have a clue who is ultimately responsible for who we get signed so I won’t speak on his recruting

 

[deatojl]

I think the next couple of years will tell the tale on Elarbee from a development standpoint. I don’t have a clue who is ultimately responsible for who we get signed so I won’t speak on his recruting

I agree with you. All I know about his recruiting is that, on here, Elarbee tends to get blamed any time we fail to land a big time OL recruit yet someone else gets the credit when we do land one. At least on the surface, that seems a bit unfair, particularly when a good bit of recruits mention him specifically.

 

[Derek Reese's jumpshot]

I think all the big receiver targets love the idea of playing here, but are too scared to actually do it. And that will continue until we have someone drafted in the first round.

 

[BJWeeks]

Well LSU will be looking for a new coach by end of season. They could start off 0-3 in SEC losing to Florida, Ole Miss, and South Carolina not to mention lose opener to Clemson

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Well LSU will be looking for a new coach by end of season. They could start off 0-3 in SEC losing to Florida, Ole Miss, and South Carolina not to mention lose opener to Clemson

This is satire right?

 

[HeuperDrive]

Well LSU will be looking for a new coach by end of season. They could start off 0-3 in SEC losing to Florida, Ole Miss, and South Carolina not to mention lose opener to Clemson

Far be it from me to defend Brian Kelly, but I’d hardly say it’s a guarantee they’ll be looking for a new coach by the end of the season. His buyout isn’t exactly cheap, so unless he completely collapses and goes 4-8 or something, LSU probably isn’t firing him so quickly.

 

[SergeantVol]

Well, I am a VOL who lives in Baton Rouge, so I f'ing hope he gets out there and tries to run around in, or even walk down the sidewalk in, this 99 degree steam that we live in here.

Edit. Tristan, I am from East TN ... it's always about 10 degrees cooler up there. I wish I was back there, and not in this forsaken hell-hole of South Louisiana.

If you’re north of I-10, you’re not in south Louisiana…

 

[allvolrecruiting]

I see nothing wrong with portal additions on the o line. Not different than DB WR DL orange position. We have benefited from the portal

OL is very different from every other position bc there are only so many players physically built to play it a solid level in the SEC, especially at tackle. Combined with how important they are and every single OL cost a lot in the portal. You can get by and Tennessee has but you need real depth there. A walk on can't be your 6th or 7th lineman for three years in a row at this level to put it bluntly. Both the portal tackles graded out very bad last year too fwiw, altho I do think Heard can be significantly better

 

[allvolrecruiting]

I agree with you. All I know about his recruiting is that, on here, Elarbee tends to get blamed any time we fail to land a big time OL recruit yet someone else gets the credit when we do land one. At least on the surface, that seems a bit unfair, particularly when a good bit of recruits mention him specifically.

They're going to mention their future position coach, especially when asked directly about him. Heupel/NIL combo has taken over some OL recruitments last couple of classes where you notice a large increase in level of talent.....

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

I agree with you. All I know about his recruiting is that, on here, Elarbee tends to get blamed any time we fail to land a big time OL recruit yet someone else gets the credit when we do land one. At least on the surface, that seems a bit unfair, particularly when a good bit of recruits mention him specifically.

Rational objective thought is a terrible thing to waste!

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

They're going to mention their future position coach, especially when asked directly about him. Heupel/NIL combo has taken over some OL recruitments last couple of classes where you notice a large increase in level of talent.....

Yeah, ain’t it great to have a closer to finish off the groundwork of the position coaches and direct the money guys.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

If you’re north of I-10, you’re not in south Louisiana…

Um, I aint north of I-10. Bec mon chou.

 

[SergeantVol]

Um, I aint north of I-10. Bec mon chou.

Alright, north of Plaquemine, couyon!

 

[orangebloodgmc]

Alright, north of Plaquemine, couyon!

Allright, then.

 

[NighthawkVol]

OL is very different from every other position bc there are only so many players physically built to play it a solid level in the SEC, especially at tackle. Combined with how important they are and every single OL cost a lot in the portal. You can get by and Tennessee has but you need real depth there. A walk on can't be your 6th or 7th lineman for three years in a row at this level to put it bluntly. Both the portal tackles graded out very bad last year too fwiw, altho I do think Heard can be significantly better

OLine is also the most difficult position to evaluate/project (especially interior OL). Projecting how a high school kid at that position will develop is incredibly difficult. If you sign a 3* Guard or a 4* Guard, I don’t really put much stock in the difference.

So getting them out of the portal actually makes a lot of sense. Because they’ve already developed and one can discern the player they will actually be in your offense. I’m not saying to fill out your entire OL room with portal guys, but it’s a position where getting more portal guys there makes a lot of sense, due to the difficulty in evaluating high school OL.

 

[Jackcrevol]

 

[Jackcrevol]

Keys spoke to On3 after his official visit to LSU and he seemed to indicate that he hasn't made a final decision yet.

“I wouldn’t say my mind is wide open,” said Keys. “There are some things I’m looking at taking serious towards picking my school."

Keys is still committed to LSU, and he could still end up in Baton Rouge, but it definitely sounds like he still has some things to consider before making the final call in his recruitment. That's a good sign for the Vols. The last thing Tennessee wanted to hear after Keys' official visit to LSU was that the five-star wide receiver had shut down his recruitment.

Tennessee has done everything they can to land Keys. At this point, his decision will likely come down to which school he's more comfortable with.

2026 Vols five-star quarterback commit Faizon Brandon, in fact, said last week that he thinks Tennessee will win the recruiting battle for Keys.

“I think we can land both TK (WR Tristen Keys) and Legend Bey,” said Brandon to On3. “Really trying to work on (RB) Savion (Hiter). Those are three guys I think we’ll be able to get."

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Keys spoke to On3 after his official visit to LSU and he seemed to indicate that he hasn't made a final decision yet.

“I wouldn’t say my mind is wide open,” said Keys. “There are some things I’m looking at taking serious towards picking my school."

Keys is still committed to LSU, and he could still end up in Baton Rouge, but it definitely sounds like he still has some things to consider before making the final call in his recruitment. That's a good sign for the Vols. The last thing Tennessee wanted to hear after Keys' official visit to LSU was that the five-star wide receiver had shut down his recruitment.

Tennessee has done everything they can to land Keys. At this point, his decision will likely come down to which school he's more comfortable with.

2026 Vols five-star quarterback commit Faizon Brandon, in fact, said last week that he thinks Tennessee will win the recruiting battle for Keys.

“I think we can land both TK (WR Tristen Keys) and Legend Bey,” said Brandon to On3. “Really trying to work on (RB) Savion (Hiter). Those are three guys I think we’ll be able to get."

Would be awesome to flip Keys. I love Fazions enthusiasm and confidence.

 

[Jackcrevol]

Would be awesome to flip Keys. I love Fazions enthusiasm and confidence.

that's been missing. as AP said 'more of a regional guy than, California.'

 

[Ericvol2096]

Definitely not over, but definitely not done either.