Two of the highly hyped positions in football are the wide receiver and the quarterback. The race for these positions and to land top prospects is like going for a Hail Mary on every down. That’s the type of intensity and the level of stakes that come with the prospects. The 2026 has just 2 prospects in that regard in the wide receiver department. Those being Chris Henry Jr. and the highly sought-after Tristen Keys. He is someone teams are after from every direction. And Tristen? Well, he’s just enjoying the attention.

Standing at 6 feet and 2.5 inches tall and weighing around 185 lbs, he’s someone who has the ability to make those marauding runs on the biggest of the CBs. The player is rated 98.35 on ON3 and hails from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Currently, virtually every team in the country is after the guy, with Ole Miss leading the probabilities at 30.6%, followed by USC at 20.3%, and then Alabama and Auburn (per On3). However, it seems the player has different plans altogether.

In a recent outing where the player was seen playing in the OT7, he was seen wearing Miami gloves and practicing on the field. Steve Wilfong of On3 wrote about the player. “On3’s No. 1 WR Tristen Keys wearing the Miami gloves and shoes today at OT7. Coming off a Tennessee visit, he says the Vols are recruiting him the hardest. He loves Alabama. High on LSU and Texas A&M, among others”. Many speculated about the meaning of Miami gloves, which undoubtedly would have been a move from the player in a bid to tease other programs.

Tristen also visited Miami earlier this month and had a good time with the program and coaches. Miami stands out amongst other programs because this is the only non-SEC program that has meaningful expectations to land the guy. He even said Miami was a “contender” for him and particularly liked the practice sessions, as he said, “They showed me a lot.” Tristen is a star in himself, even on the 7 on-7 circuit, and had shown his prowess before his junior season there. He is being touted as having a very high ceiling and a top-end speed. He has now highlighted his potential destinations.

The player has currently highlighted 3 programs of his preference. Those being Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, giving a major setback to other programs like Miami and LSU. He said, “Those three schools are coming hard (Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M),” Keys told On3. “Others are too, but those three are recruiting me hard; they talk to my mom, and they are all high on my list.” The player even visited Tennessee, where he spent time and also praised their program and especially his familiarity with the coaches. The wide receiver particularly liked the intensity of the practice sessions he attended, as he said, “It was the first practice, and they went hard.” That doesn’t mean other programs are out of the equation.

Tristen Keys chalks out a timeline for his commitment

After visiting Tennessee, Tristen then visited Alabama, too, as he proclaimed that he wanted to get back on the campus as soon as possible. Furthermore, he also has his visit scheduled for Aggies on 29th March. The player clearly knows how things work, as when demand is sky-high and supply is so low, you should make full benefit of it. Plus, he knows his quality too, and it seems like he will take a feel of all the programs in his mind and then choose his decision wisely. He talked about his ultimate signing date.

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Surely the player will get all he is looking for, considering there is no other option of his level in the WR room of the 2026 class. His ability, in that sense, is undoubtedly unmatched. Considering just as a junior, the player had accumulated 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading his team in a playoff run. His catch radius is something that stands out the most, and his hang time in the air is also remarkable. This athleticism not only helps him in football but in basketball too, since he is also a star on the court. However, his commitment won’t be that easy. For now, he is reveling in the hype and will surely decide after he has visited all the colleges by June or July.

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